


One of the Boys

by darkshadows92



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Gender or Sex Swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 18:45:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 161,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11950386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darkshadows92/pseuds/darkshadows92
Summary: Tomboy Naruko Namikaze, loves just hanging around her friends and twin brother Menma, they are so used to her acting like them, that they consider her one of them, and she loves it, not having any interest in girly stuff or love interests FemNaruto x Itachi, modern days Au What is going to happen when she meets five years older Itachi Uchiha?





	1. Chapter 1

ONE OF THE BOYS

 

She was bouncing up and down excitedly, by the stairway, waiting for her idiotic and unbelievably slow twin brother, who was supposedly getting ready for their movie night gathering with their friends.

They were supposed to meet the gang at Shikamaru's house in an half an hour, and it was a twenty minute walk, so she was getting impatient by the second.

"Menma! I swear, if you don't get your ass down in three seconds I am coming up! And I'll pull your friggin hair out so you won't have to worry about fixing them so damn much!"

Naruko wasn't really the most patient girl in town. Especially when her male twin worried about his appearance more than she did.

She had just slipped on her favorite black track suit pants, her favorite orange hoodie, her black converse shoes, brushed her blonde hair out of the way, without caring where her long yellow strands ended up, and she was ready to go. She was a tomboy, and she loved it!

She was a lot more comfortable around her male friends and she dressed and acted so much like them, that they had started to consider her one of them, much to her brother's annoyance.

He wasn't really enthused, having his sister always with him, doing boys stuff, palying Mariokart with Shikamaru and Sasuke, challenging Choji at who ate more potato chips,damn, she even had burping contests with dogbreath Kiba!

"I'm ready, do you really need to threaten my hair every single time?" he groaned, sending his sister an annoyed glance.

Naruko rolled her eyes, and looked at him in his bright blue orbs, that were practically a mirror of her own

"I'm going to cut it for real one day, maybe once you're bald it will take less time getting ready! Geez Menma, you're such a girl sometimes!"

He just stared at her,one eye twitching slightly at her words. He was a what? He? A girl? Coming from her was somewhat ironic, he was the male twin, dammit!

"Menma, Naruko? Are you arguing again?" the calm voice of Minato Namikaze close, they both sighed as the man, now in front of them wearing a pink apron, which caused another eye twitch to the black haired twin, glared at them.

"What did we tell you about arguing?"

"we are seventeen dad, we don' t need you to get on our case every sing-"

"I'm sorry daddy, but Menna was running late, as usual"

Naruko gave their parent a bright smile, that both knew he couldn't resist. Minato did have a soft spot for his daughter, she had him wrapped around her little finger. Menma muttered something under his breath, and his sister just stuck out her tongue at him.

"Minato! What did I tell you? We have to let them sort it out themselves, us getting involved won't help!" the loud voice of Kushina Uzumaki, roaring from the kitchen, made them all shiver, the woman was scary!

"She is right" the blonde man assumed, and gave his kids an apologetic smile.

"Coward" mouthed Menma, sending an amused glance at his father, who just grinned.

"maybe, but a wise one indeed" he answered, feeling his wife approach him, leaning a hand on his shoulder. They all knew it was best to avoid firing her up.

She shrugged, ignoring the conversation between the two males of the family and looked at her children with a soft smile.

"Anyway, are you guys leaving?"

"Yes, mom, Shikamaru's place as every Friday" Menma answered, finally getting off the last step and putting his grey vans on and his jacket. It was early summer, but evenings were still chilly. He already knew his mother would ask, and worry about them.

"we will order pizza with the guys and watch a movie mom, nothing unusual"

Naruko added, smiling widely at their slightly apprehensive parents.

"Yes we know, be good, don't bother Shikaku and Yoshino too much"

Menma just hummed in response, not bothering to tell his mother that Shikamaru's parents were never home on Fridays, which was the reason of the chosen location.

It's not like they were going to throw a wild party or do illegal stuff, and they were all boys, well except his sister, and sometimes Ino or Tenten, two of the few female friends his sister actually had.

"Don't worry mom! We will be fine, see you later." The blonde haired twin waved before following her brother.

As soon as they were out the door, Menma gave Naruko a quick look, and let out an exasperated sigh. He had just noticed the way she was dressed, as usual, and couldn't help but think if his father's worries about her sexuality were actually correct. Not that he had anything against it, if she did actually swing the other way. It would explain a lot of things on, her lack of feminility to say one. Not that he minded, he'd rather their friends call her dude, instead of drooling over her feminine curves, that he knew were hidden under the baggy clothes she usually wore.

They ringing of Naruko's cell phone shook him out of his daze, as he watched as she answered, rolling his eyes at her choice of a ringtone. Seriously, who would put the Star Wars theme as ringtone?

"Hello'

"Oi Naruko? Where are you guys at?"

She rolled her eyes at the bored voice of her best friend.

'we're almost there, it took Menma ages to get ready'

She smirked as she heard her brother growl lowly at her.

'Figures, what a drag, tell him that Sasuke is getting impatient'

Naruko rolled her eyes, and smirked at her black haired twin.

'jeesh, tell him to chill, don't get his panties in a twist, I know how he misses my dear brother'

she winked at her twin's look of disgust.

Shikamaru chuckled, and she let out a snicker at the thought of her brother's bromance with the dark Uchiha.

'Oh, and let him know, that the girls are here too'

'Uh? It's not like he cares, I think he's asexual or something' she whispered, as her brother gave a look that could have killed her there on the spot. Wasn't he the best company one could have?

'Really? Tell him Hinata is here' and he just closed the conversation like that.

"What a moron" she heard Menma mutter as he walked a bit further from her. She looked at her brother, like really looked at him, and she noticed a slight blush on his cheeks. Well look at that, he was human after all.

"Dammit! That Shika, figures he would notice something like that!" she said excitedly, sometimes she couldn't help it, she was a girl after all.

"Shut up 'Ruko"

"Hinata uh? Really bro, I thought you would stay celibate for ever and ever!"

The black haired teen just sighed, he really wished that bastard of Shikamaru Nara the worst pain he could think of. His sister was the last person that should know things. It's not like she woukd gossip or anything, but she was just sich a loudmouth and outgoing person that it would just slip out of her.

"But don't worry,I won't tell anyone, it's your business after all,since I'm not experienced in things such as crushes or love affairs, damn I don't ever care about sappy romances or soap operas"

That was why Naruko was so out of the ordinary. She really didn't care about those girly things. She was a nerd, one of the worst around, with a bunch of male friends, she didn't ever wear make-up or even knew how put it on the right way, and he didn't ever recall seeing her in a dress. She barely fixed her hair, just the necessary to avoid looking messy.

"Thanks, I appreciate it, but with your big mouth everyone will know by tonight, but hey, at least I know you're trying" he said in a matter of fact way.

"Geez, such faith you have in me" she slumped a bit, and he just shrugged his shoulders, ruffling her hair affectionately. It was rare for him to show affection, but she knew he loved her.

"What about you 'Ruko? Has someone caught your interest?" he inquired, wondering if his father's guesses were right.

"Nah, noone, but you know me, I don't really care"

"Really? You can tell me if it's one of the guys, just-" and he stopped for a second, increasing her curiosity.

"Just not Rock Lee, anyone but him, I can't deal having to be around his energetic personality more than necessary"

Naruko grimaced at the thought, no offence she really liked Rock Lee, but Menma was right.

"You don't need to worry, about anyone, really. What brought this on, anyway?"

She asked putting her hands in her pockets and looking at her identical twin from under her long eyelashes.

"Well, nothing really"

Naruko just hummed, content with that answer, she knew deep down, Menma really cared for her.

"Thanks"

Menma's eyes widened, as he looed at his sister's smile.

"Why are you even thanking me, I'm your brother, I do care for you"

"It's just that you rarely show it, but when you do, it's really sweet"

Menma chuckled, "God Naruko, you're such a girl sometimes"

Before she could answer, they both heard the sound of a door opening.

"Yo wonder twins, get your asses inside"

Shikamaru's voice called them inside, and Menma stuck his tongue out at his sister, before jogging inside.

Before she could blink, she heard Rock Lee over enthusiastic voice yelling at her.

"Naruko! my youthful friend! May I walk you inside my beautiful ray of sunshine?"

Naruko sweat dropped at her friend's weird antics, and just followed him inside, in a daze.

Menma, who had also noticed from the door, raised an eyebrow at the rest of the gang, in question.

He noticed Sasuke's smirk, and it looked like it held a devilish hint. Definitely not a good sign.

"What? You didn't know? Rock Lee apparently has a huge crush on Naruko, and has decided to pursue her, the poor idiot" Ino answered, flipping her blonde bangs out of her eyes.

"What?" the Namikaze's voice was dangerously on edge.

"I wouldn't worry, if it's meant to be, there's nothing we could do to stop it, it's destiny" Neju shrugged, earning a growl from the black haired teen. Damn, his friends really must hate his guts.

"What's the problem? Rock Lee could be your brother in law in a couple of years"

Sai said with a smile that made Menma wish he could choke him.

"Nooooo!"

"Oh yes!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Itachi had just finished going through his stuff, getting ready to box anything he needed to take back home with him.

After four years of being away from his family for college in Ame, he was finally returning to Konoha, where he would start working alongside his father, in the family business.

Apparently his great- uncle Madara, had finally decided to retire, leaving everything in the hands of his brother Izuna, and his nephew, Fugaku, Itachi's father.

He would start simply as an intern, he didn't want to take advantage for his position or of his family's name, and it was wiser for him to gain some experience before earning a high and Madara had agreed and had decided that he was suited to run the company in the future, and that they wouldn't push him, he had just turned 22, they wanted to give him time to enjoy his youth.

So, in the end everyone was happy, Itachi wouldn't be weighed down with responsibility at such a young age, Madara could retire knowing they had things covered, his parents were happy to have him back home, and his little brother, well, he wasn't sure about him, he knew Sasuke resented him a little bit for leaving, although it was for his studies, he had wanted his brother to stick closer to home.

The raven haired man, shrugged and simply put some of his clothes in one of the boxes, as he heard the approaching voices of some of his friends.

"Yo Itachi, we rented a truck for next Saturday,it's big enough that it should take all of the stuff in one go"

Shisui, his best friend, and cousin, had arrived from Konoha to help him. He was eating an apple and had a happy expression on his face. He was glad Itachi was coming home, he worked in the family business too, as a researcher. Their family's company produced advanced medical instruments that were used for ophthalmology, a medical branch that concerned the eyes.

Itachi was graduating in medical bioengineering, his graduation was next week, on Friday.

"Can you even drive a truck?" Itachi asked, raising a perfect eyebrow, in the way only an Uchiha could. Obviously Shisui was unaffected by such a glare.

"What do you mean? Of course I can!" the brown haired boy, faked offence and gasped in a theatrical way.

"Damn Itachi, you really hurt my feelings, have you no trust in me?"

"Should I remind you what happened with the golf cart last time I visited?"

"You're cold Itachi, so so cold" the other muttered, crossing his arms on his chest with a pout on his face, that made the younger Uchiha laugh.

"Yeah mock now, just because I was the one who had to pay the fine"

"well you were driving…"

"Do I want to know what happened?" Kisame asked, a big mocking grin on his face as he carried some boxes he had retrieved.

"He got drunk, and almost ran over afew players on the golf field, before actually landing in the pond, he was soaking wet, and obviously our parents and Madara were furious, they still frown at us when we go there" Itachi chuckled at the memory.

"Really? I didn't think you had it in you, pretty boy"

Shisui's pout grew even bigger, if possible at the nickname Kisame had given him the first time they met.

"Well, there was this girl, and you know…"

"The idiot wanted to make an impression" Itachi finished for him, smirking at his cousin.

"I'm sure you did" Kisame now was laughing openly, holding his stomach with his hand.

"Yeah, well you know how much I like Hana" the other muttered, making Itachi smile apologetically. He knew he had liked the girl for years.

"And you're one to talk, remember that time, you were trying to get Izumi talk to you?"

Itachi froze for a second, he didn't like to talk about Izumi, not after what happened between them, almost a year ago.

Shisui noticed his best friend's reaction, he immediately felt stupid for bringing her up.

That story had not ended well, and Itachi, had, hell he still was, suffering.

They had met in their first year of high school, apparently they were distant relatives, and he, curious about another Uchiha that he had never heard about, had tried to approach the girl. It didn't help that she was very good looking and that the poor black haired boy had developed a very strong crush for her.

Naturally being the good friend he was, Shisui had wanted to help, he was a Senior, being that he was three years older, and of course had a little more experience with girls. Itachi had been trying, without much success, to approach the girl being the shy nerd he was.

So Shisui had done the one thing he thought that could help. He had practically pushed the boy towards Izumi, during lunch break. Of course, the older Uchiha had forgotten about the little detail, and that was, the tray full of foood the younger boy was carrying.

It had ended up in a big mess, but Shisui obtained what he had wished for out of it.

Itachi and Izumi had started dating a few weeks later.

And their relationship had lasted almost six years, untill, out of the blue, she had called, saying that she had fallen in love with somebody that went at the same college, and that Itachi happened to know, since he too was from Konoha, Shiranui Genma, Shisui's classmate.

It had hurt like hell. Itachi had felt every stage of heart break, and was lucky he had his friends and family to lean on. His parents had come over for the week end, with Shisui and Sasuke, and they had spent the whole weekend playing Wii sports, even Fugaku and Mikoto had joined.

His friends had took shifts, to make sure someone was always with the heartbroken boy, watching crappy old movies, and eating a shit load of ice cream. He was lucky.

And, was lucky most of his friends were single, so he didn't have to hang around happy couples, well except Sasori and Deidara, and Konan and Yahiko, but thank God, they weren't the lovey dovey type

"Itachi? You alright?" Kisame asked, sending a glare towards Shisui, thay was already feeling guilty.

"see what you've done, pretty boy?"

clearly, talking about Izumi was not a good idea.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned her" apologized the brown haired boy, one of his hands on his neck ina mortified stance.

Itachi tightened his fists, he was pathetic, he had to get over it.

"No, it's not your fault Shisui, it shouldn't still be uncomfortable to talk about her, it has been what? A year?"

"What's with those sad faces? Someone's cat just died?"

A voice barged in, and a pretty hyper blonde made his way, followed by a bored looking red head.

"It must be their way of greting you, my dear." Sasori smirked at his boyfriend's offended expression.

"What are you talking about? I'm so awesome people should bow when I pass by, people should throw flowers at me, and-"

"Stop it!" Damn his blond had a huge ego.

Sasori was, very observant and had immediately noticed the tense atmosphere, and had noticed the frown that marked Itachi's face.

"What's wrong?" the red headed was clearly talking to the raven.

"Idiot over there mentioned Izumi"

Kisame answered for everyone, and Deidara sighed so loudly everybody heard it.

"Her again? Itachi, you have to forget about her! Dammit!"

"Dei" Sasori's voice had a dangerous edge, he was trying to warn him to not speak again.

"See? This is why I don't mess with women, they are evil!"

"Really now? So that's the reason I'm stuck with you"

"And also because you love me! Don't you Sasori?"

"Deidara, I wouldn't push it if I were you"

"Geez, you never show me any love darling, sometimes I think you must be a puppet or something, you know, for your lack of emotions"

"A puppet? Really you couldn't compare me to anything else?"

"No, Pinocchio, it was time you turned into a real boy and admit you love me, dammit!"

Sasori just smirked, and wrapped a hand around the blond's waist and pulled him towards him.

"You know I do, you psyco"

Deidara just gushed and pecked his boyfriend on the lips.

"Keep it g- rated over there!" Shisui warned, covering his eyes.

"Leave it to those two to lighten the atmosphere"

Kisame snorted as he ignored the couple's banter, they were all used to it by now.

"Itachi Really, If you need to talk about it, well, I'm here"

Shisui smiled kindly at his younger cousin, that he really considered more a younger brother, and put a hand on one of his shoulders in a comforting manner.

"It's ok, I really need to get over it"

The other just nodded.

"it takes time to heal, you shouldn't be ashamed, to have feelings is simply human, and that's what we all are, plus in another week you will graduate, and you will have a fresh new start! Who knows what will come next"

Itachi's black eyes filled with determination. Shisui was right, there wasn't anything wrong in feeling a bit down sometimes, the important thing, was to remember who he was, and not ler himself sink low because of the pain.

He was Itachi Uchiha, dammit!

He had a bright future waiting for him!

"So not that that's settled, who wants to go and get a few drinks? We could get wasted for the sake of the old times before we all go back home" Deidara proposed, and Kisame smirked.

"Yeah! Why the hell not? Let' s go shrimp, let's drown your worries in good ol' alcohol"

Itachi smiled, thank God he had amazing friends.


	3. Chapter 3

Naruko was sitting on Shikamaru's couch, squished between Menma, who had surprisingly stolen the plaChapterce from Lee, and Sasuke, who, and she was even more surprised, has said something about preventing her brother to lose his mind, or something like that.

Shikamaru had taken the spot on the floor, in front of her, and she was feeling as if she was surrounded by guard dogs.

Choji was waiting by the door for the pizzas to arrive, and Ino, Tenten and Hinata were sitting on the other sofa, whilst Kiba, who was leaning on his giant dog Akamaru, Shino and Sai, were lazily on the carpet, going through the dvd's. Rock Lee was visibly pouting next to the window, and Neji was listening to him rant about something that she couldn't quite grasp, and didn't really care, anyway.

"So guys, what do you want to watch tonight?"

"Avengers!" Shouted Kiba, pulling out the dvd with enthusiasm.

"No way dogbreath, we already saw it like a thousand times" Naruko answered as Menma nodded.

"Yeah, she's right, something else"

"But, isn't like Tom Hiddleaton playing Loki on the Avengers?" asked Ino, looking at the other blonde haired girl, who simply shrugged.

"Yeah, so?"

"So? Naruko! He is freaking hot, like really really really hot!"

"Yeah, even I have to agree with her" Tenten agreed, and she and Ino shared a girly squeal thinking about the actor.

"you girls are crazy, we won't watch a movie just because of some hot guy, plus, you really think that dude is hot?" Sasuke argued, his arms crossed and a raised eyebrow.

"I fail to see it" Naruko answered honestly, she really couldn't see what was so special about that guy.

"Dude!" Kiba high fived Naruko and both ignored Ino's disbeliefing look.

"Really Naruko, I'm disappointed you should be on our side"

"Well what about Avengers:Age of Utltron?"

"No!"

"But, Chris Hemsworth? Really Naruko, what do you like?"

"I don't really base a movie on how hot the leading actor is!"

"Troublesome, we should at least watch a movie that we will all enjoy"

Shikamaru spoke with his usual calm, his eyes closed as if he was in deep thought, ignoring Ino's comments on how the other blonde girl was totally hopeless.

"I say something like Batman, that guy has abs we can all enjoy" Sai proposed, gaining a shocked glare from half of the people in the room.

"What? I have no problems admitting that I don't mind watching a movie with hot guys, I am rather sure of my sexuality"

"Yes but now we aren't" Menma smirked at the other raven boy that just stared blankly, not grasping what the big deal was anyway.

"What? Is your lack of a dick such a problem with you that you can't stand the competition?"

"Would you drop the dick jokes you weirdo?"

Hinata blushed from her spot in the corner, as the other girls just chuckled.

"You're disgusting!" Kiba muttered, and it took a lot to impress the dog loving boy.

"You know we don't really care about your dick, Namikaze" Sasuke said, expressing half of the room's thoughts.

"Now, that's a mental image I surely didn't need! Someone slap me right now!" Naruko closed her eyes, covering her ears trying to avoid hearing more, the mental image made her cringe.

Sasuke grinned evily and whacked the girl on her arm.

"That hurt you damn asshat!"

"Jeez, what a whiney baby, you asked for it"

"Would you two stop acting like idiots! I'm getting a headache! And Namikaze, Uchiha is right, we don't give a rats ass about your lack of a certain part of your anatomy" Neji protested from his spot by the window.

"Well, excuse me but I do, I have a reputation!"

"I didn't know you had one" Naruko added, making Kiba high five her again.

"A dick? That's completely my point"

The girl sweat dropped, Sai really was an idiot.

"That's not what she meant!"

"The dobe asked for it, she should be clearer"

"Damn teme!" Naruko flashed a fist in front of Sasuke's pale face, who just snorted as an answer.

Naruko was fuming, darned Uchiha, always getting her riled up.

"It is an unyouthful thing to do, talk about someone else's dick! You cannot let that nasty mouth insult you so, my dearest friend Menma"

Everyone just sighed, there was no way of dropping the discussion.

Lee was now hugging the raven haired Namikaze, whose eye was twitching dangerously, he grimaced, as he felt the other squeeze his arm.

The hyper boy clad in his usual green jumpsuit, was oblivious as ever.

"Lee what have I told you about physical contact?"

"Never touch Menma?" the other answered,

"Exactly! Why do you always forget it?" Really, he was starting to lose his nerve. First they gave him the dreaded news, and now the guy was stealing his breathing space.

"Do you not like me Menma?"

Lee was so close that Menma could count every hair of his bushy eyebrows. Damn they were huge! Had they always been that huge?

"You guys are hopeless" Shino muttered from under his hoodie, even though no one heard him, as usual.

The moment was broken by Sasuke's cellphone, that started ringing loudly.

Naruko craned her neck to spy on the caller's name, but the bastard Uchiha covered it with his hand.

" Ehm gotta answer it" Everybody's eyes were on the pale black haired boy.

"Did he just…" Ino pointed out, she thought she had seen a dusting of ping coloring his cheeks.

"Uchiha?" Menma's voice was low and came out as a snake's hiss. His blue gaze would have scared the living shit out of some stranger, but Sasuke was used to it, plus he was the one that had invented the glare, well technically Itachi, but still.

"what?" the other answered proving that he wasn't affected at all.

"Where do you think you're going?" the blue eyed boy's tone resembled the devil's.

"Ah, sorry Namikaze, gotta answer"

said that, the boy swiftly got up and ran, literally, out of the house.

"You will pay for this, damn Uchiha! I thought we had a plan!"

"Huh? What are you talking about bro?" Naruko asked, she was glad Sasuke had gotten up, sje was starting to get hot. She took off her orange hoodie, revealing a baggy black shirt.

"Nothing, he knows!" he pointed his finger towards the door, as if trying to burn it down with his eyes.

"Ok, now, that was weird" Kiba commented, leaning on his huge dog Akamaru. No one had ever seen Sasuke so eager to answer a phone call

"You guys are such dumbassess, did any of you notice that lately he's always text messagging like a freak?" The other blonde haired girl boredly explained from her spot.

"the pizza guy is here!" Choji happily announced, as he opened the door and ran out to pay him.

"I say girlfriend" Shikamaru said, commenting what Ino had said. Clearly the signs were all there.

"Who? That emotionless teme? Who would be so foolish to even approach him?"

"You mean, apart from Ino?" Tenten smirked at said blonde's outraged expression. It was comeback for all those times she had made fun of her own crush on Neji.

He was so cute standing there by the window. She wished she could approach him as easily like the other guys, but he was distant with her.

"Hey, that was last year and it was only a crush!"

"Sure" Tenten rolled her eyes relaxing on the sofa, and sharing a look with Hinata, that smiled kindly.

"Don't worry Ino, He can't hear you" Neji pointed out, but it didn't calm the girl.

"It's not like he didn't know, she confessed to him like three times"

Naruko said, mimicking the number three with her fingers.

Menma winced, there goes his sister's big mouth.

"Really? Why didn't we know?"

Kiba asked, nobody had even noticed that Ino had a crush on Sasuke.

"Because no one cares"

"Well thank Shika" she muttered, a she crossed her arms on her chest.

The boy just shrugged, and got up as Choji closed the doors, pizza in hand, and opened on the table.

"so, everybody dig in!" he said as he happily mumched on his first slice.

Naruko yawned, as she watched the last scene of the Lord of the Ring, Fellowship of the ring.

She was one of the last ones still awake, Shikamaru was snoring lazily beside her shoulder, and Menma, was yawning, barely keeping his eyes open. Sasuke, was somewhere around, the girls were sleeping, and so was the rest of the group. Just Lee was stilll awake, having taken advantage of Sasuke's absence he had taken the spot in front of Naruko, he was looking with teary eyes the two characters on the screen.

"Youth flows in those two, they will be sure to make with the power of their friendship! Won't they Naruko? My beautiful ray of sunshine?"

The girl battled her eyelashes, still confused at the way Lee was adressing her. He had never called her such names, and was confused by his actions.

Menma beside her was keeping himself from kicking him away from his sister.

"Shut it bushy brows, nobody cares about the power of youth or whatever" Slugged Menma as he got up.

"Get up sis, time to go home, or mom will start panicking and send dad out here to pick us up" he continued as he pinched his twin, earning a groan of protest from her.

"Let him, I'm too tired to walk" she yawned and elbowed Shikamaru on the ribs, waking him up.

"Damn 'Ruko, told you already to stop doing that" complained the boy as he rubbed his hand on his face, trying to stay awake and don't succumb to slumber.

"You alway have to be so noisy"

Another black haired biy complained getting up from his corner.

"Sas'kè dammit, where the hell were ya?" Naruko beamed at her friend, who scowled in return.

"I was right there, you big moron"

"Really? I didn't notice you"

"Do you ever notice anything" the Uchiha muttered making his way towards the door.

"Well guys, I'm out, Don't want Fugaku to get pissed at me for going home late, it's close to midnight, and we have to get up early"

"Up early? What for? It's a friggin sarurday" yawned Shikamaru stretching his arms.

"Me and my parents are going to Ame, we're staying there a week"

"Ame? What are you going there for?" Kiba asked as he put the leash on Akamaru, ready to leave.

"Itachi's graduating, he's coming home next Saturday, so…"

"Itachi? Your brother Itachi?" Ino asked, she remembered seeing him a couple of months ago. She had also thiught the elder Uchiha was hotter than hell, but wasn't about to say that out loud.

Naruko had her wide blue eyes open, listening intently. She had heard a lot about the mysterious Itachi, from Sasuke, Menma and even her parents. She didn't really remember him, she had only seen him twice before he left for college, and that was four years ago, her memories of him were blurry.

"So we won't see you all week?" she asked once out of her daze.

"Are you going to miss me or something? I am coming back"

"Miss you? Hell no" she smirked, and Menma rolled his eyes at them. They were the cause of most of his headaches.

"Hn" was the only answer he gave her.

They started walking out of the house greeting Shikamaru, who just waved from his doo seeing them off.

Choji and Ino lived close by so they left together, followed by Shino,Kiba and Sai, bidding goodnight to everyone.

The last ones left, were Neji , Hinata, Tenten, the twins and Rock Lee and Sasuke.

"So, Tenten are you going home on your own?" Naruko asked, as they walked towards the street before parting ways.

"Yeah, but I live close by, No problem"

"Neji, why don't you walk Tenten home? I will be fine onmy own, our house is just a couple of blocks away." Hinata kindly offered , surprsing everyone.

Neji blinked, but wasn't opposing it, he was worried about his cousin though, he was about to speak, but was cur off by the black haired Namikaze.

"Will you really be ok?" Menma couldn't help but ask, he had barely talked to the girl all night, and noticing the strong blush in her cheeks as he spoke thought if it was a good idea, he didn't want to embarass her.

"D-don't worry, I will be fine"

"Why don't you take her home? If you are so concerned?"

"It's fine you guys, I will be fine"

"I insist" Naruko winked not so subtly at her twin, who just facepalmed, confusing the poor dark haired girl.

"Menma, you don't have…"

"Don't worry Hinata, I will walk you home, Naruko will be fine with Sasuke, they have to go in the same direction anyway, so Neji doesn't have to worry about you walking home on your own."

"Yeah, Hinata, don't you worry"

Naruko smiled pulling her hands in her pockets, as she felt Sasuke pulling her by the hoodie, she waved goodbye at everyone, and she heard Lee shouting something about good dreams and friendliness.

"Damn that Lee is so annoying"

"Yeah? What's up with him, I couldn't figure him out tonight"

Sasuke snorted as he too put his hands in his pockets.

"Aparently he realized you're a girl"

"Yeah so?"

The Uchiha pursed his lips, he didn't think it was wise for him to speak any further. Sometimes she was too naive for her own good.

Naruko just shrugged as she pulled her golden locks in a messy bun upside her head.

"Damn hair, I should just cut it"

"And lose your only girly feature?"

"You really are a bastard, teme"

"Dobe" muttered the Uchiha not wanting to let the blonde girl have the last word.

"So, you must be happy that your brother is coming home" she didn't know why, but she was curious about him, she had thought about asking Menma , but since she had a twenty minute walk with Sasuke she figured she could make something out of it.

"Hn" he thought about for a couple of seconds.

"Yeah, I guess" he finally answered.

"Sure you are, I mean, I would be too if Menma was coming home after a long period of being away, he is your brother after all!"

"Hn"

"He can't be worse than you!" Sasuke just smirked at that.

"You will see when you meet him"

"Who knows when that will be" Naruko wondered, she did go to Sasuke's house often, so it would probably happen.

"Plus my parents are organizing a welcome back party for him, my mother called yours today, it's in two weeks"

"Really?" she blinked.

Her and Sasuke's parents we're friends, so it wasn't uncommon for them to be invited to eachother's house. Especially in the last year, since her father's business had made a deal with Uchiha Corp.

"Yeah, so, see you when I get back, we should have a gathering at my house, on the weekend when i get back"

"sure! Il'll tell the guys! We could use your pool if it's hot"

"Yeah, allright, well here we are, so, I will text you or something"

"Kay! Bye Sas'ke! Have fun at your brother's party!"

"Hn"

He watched as Naruko walked inside and started leaving.

He gave a last check on his cell phone, and smiled when he noticed that Sakura had read his last message. He would text her tomorrow.

The black haired boy smirked as he waved at Menma who was jogging back to his house, and wondered why the boy was grinning so widely. He would have to hear from his best friend too. But, it would havw to wait till morning, now he had to get home and get ready to meet his brother again.


	4. Chapter 4

Wake up! Naruko? 'Ruko?"

"Mom! Darn it! she sleeps like the dead! She isn't budging!".

"Shake her, do anything you need to, we have to leave in ten minutes!" her mother's voice sounded far away.

"Damn it!"

The blonde haired girl, opened her eyes, finding another pair of identical orbs looking at her, their expression though wasn't very friendly.

"About time! I have been trying to wake you for like twenty minutes" Her brother Menma, rolled his eyes at her.

The blonde girl, rubbed her face, still wondering why her twin was in her room glaring daggers at her.

"So it was you shouting? I thought it was a dream"

She yawned and stretched her arms, getting up from the bed slowly, her brother still following her.

"What's your problem? Why are you still in here? I'm awake now" she groaned at him as she brushed

her hair trying to detangle it.

"Mom wants us down and ready in ten minutes"

"Ugh..what for?"

Menma smirked, and Naruko knew it wasn't a good sign. She regretted even asking him.

"She wants to take us shopping"

He knew that shopping and going to the hair dresser, were the two things his twin sister hated the most, he really enjoyed her dreadful expression a little too much.

"Is something wrong my dearest sister?"

"Shopping? What for?" she muttered,her big blue him a worried look.

"Duh! The Uchiha party on Saturday!" he answered as he yawned, hey, his mother had dragged him out of bed too.

"But, it's next Saturday! It's Friday today!"

"Yeah, but she won't have another day off from work to take us out, and she wants to make sure that you dress properly. Who knows, maybe she will finally force a dress on you" he grinned wider, he really shouldn't be having such a fun time, but he couldn't help it

"you know, it's her dream to see you in a feminine attire for once"

He was enjoying this so much, it should be declared illegal.

Naruko froze for a second, no, they couldn't do this to her! it was outrageous!

She dropped her brush, and ran out the door, screaming something that sounded a lot like

"mommy!"

Menma snickered as his phone went off, someone was video calling him.

"Ah Uchiha! Your's is a face I wasn't missing!"

He fixed the video and Sasuke's pale face appeared on his I-phone's screen, in all his emo glory.

"Oi Namikaze! What's with the happy grin? What you're doing?"

He noticed his friend's eyebrow raise slightly in question.

"Nothing, I was just telling sweet Naruko, that our devoted mother is taking us shopping today"

The Uchiha laughed and a sadistic smile soared on Menma's lips. Sasuke knew what it meant.

"She took it well I suppose, and ,you are enjoying it way too much, damn, I wish I was there to witness it"

"Go suck one bastard!"

Naruko stomped in the room as an elephant, took some clothes out of the closet and went to the bathroom, muttering about her bastard brother and best friend that we're having to much fun at jer expenses.

"Isn't she the loveliest creature ever?"

"Yeah, I sure don't pity the poor bastard that will marry her one day"

"Neither do I, man, that poor guy, I already feel sorry for him, if she ever finds someone willing to marry her"

"So, what you're doing?"

"Except having my daily fun? Nothing much, what about you? Don't you have a graduation ceremony to attend?"

" yeah, I'm at Itachi's and we're almost ready waiting for our parents, I got bored, so I figured I would hear how's everything going at the Namikaze household"

"Pleasant as ever" he paused as he noticed somebody else get on video, he immediately recognized Itachi's features.

"Yo Itachi, how are you? Haven't seen you in a while"

The older Uchiha smirked, and ruffled his brother's hair, much to said brother's dismay. he knew he hated it when people touched it.

"UGood, I think I'm starting to feel the first bouts of emotion and anxiety"

"You? You sure don't show it, you're as stoic as ever"

"he's frightening, that's why"

Menma laughed as he saw Sasuke wince at Itachi poking his forehead.

"Well I got to go, I, apparently have a hair disfunction today, meaning they won't stay in place and will probably have to listen to my mother complaining about it"

'That's because they're too long! You're tickling me! Stop it Itachi! You're doing it on purpose!"

Deep laughter came from the phone, and Menma smirked, if there was someone who could push all of Sasuke's buttons that was his brother. He couldn't wait to see more of the two Uchiba bickering once Itachi came home.

"It was good seeing you Itachi, and congratulations by the way"

"Thanks, see you next week, I heard my parents have organized something, so I will surely see you there"

"Sure thing!" he grinned and waved goodbye.

The older Uchiha stepped away leaving Sasuke alone on the screen.

"Anyway where's Naruko? I wouldn't wish to end this call without seeing her face- uh? what do you mean who's Naruko? Don't you remember Menma's sister? Yeah he's got a sister! I don't know why you forgot! Itachi stop talking dammit"

Apparently Itachi was still in the same room, he could hear his voice in the background. Followed by another one.

"Shut up Shisui! I don't care that you're shocked! So he's got a damn sister! What's the big deal?"

"Shisui there too?"figures, him and Itachi were inseparable when they were younger, and most of the times he had seen them they were together.

"Yeah, the moron, he's a nuisance"

Sasuke fixed the collar of his button up shirt, as Menma heard Shisui making another question, that made Sasuke's already pale face drain of all color.

"What kind of a question is that? If she's hot? No Shisui, Itachi doesn't need a girlfriend! Would you two stop it? It's getting ridicolous."

He heard the two older boy's laughter, damn those two were having a field day stressing Sasuke. They were his idols.

"Sorry Menma, we didn't mean to offend you or your sister, I must have forgotten about her"

"Don't worry Itachi, no offence taken"

Sasuke appeared again, and he looked like he had used the five seconds to fix his hair.

" so, crazy day uh?"

"Tell me about it, just hanging around Shisui is tiring"

"well, now, it's not like you're the best company either, broody little brother"

Itachi was on again, and he heard Sasuke screach something at his brother, it really sounded a lot like an insult.

He was about to reply as Naruko gracefully stomped in the room, her Pikachu t-shirt on, with her favorite cap on her head, and her usual pants and shoes.

"Here she is my lovely sister!"

"Uchiha still? Damn you two should just finally admit your feelings for one another, and I don't know, fix each other's hair while gazing at the stars"

She was on the opposite side as her brother, so she couldn't see who was on the screen, nor they could see her.

"Yep, totally my opinion too"

Itachi chuckled and Naruko laughed before she realized that it wasn't Sasuke who had answered her, and her eyes widened like saucers. She wasn't the shy type, but that deep voice made her shiver.

Menma raised an eyebrow at his sister's panicked expression, that was a first.

Thankfully, Sasuke broke the weird silence.

"So, Naruko, I heard your mother wants to push you into a dress huh?"

"Go fuck yourself teme"

"Ahh she's not a fan, neh Sasuke?"

Itachi was again beside Sasuke, and Naruko blushed at the deep unknown voice. What the hell was wrong with her? Getting so flushed for someone's voice.

"Very very funny, oi Namikaze? We gotta go, apparently uncle Madara is here, he gets grumpy when he sees people on the phone, old geezer"

" Yeah We gotta go too, mom is waiting for us, so, see you on Sunday?"

" Yep! See you guys on Sunday"

And with that the conversation was over.

He put his phone in his pocket again and stared at his sister, that was blankly gazing at the wall.

"Who was that with Sasuke, on the phone?"

Menma raised a brow, and rubbed a hand across his dark strands.

"Just Itachi…is something wrong? You're acting weird" since you heard Itachi's voice he wanted to add, but he didn't, maybe she was just caught by surprise, se didn't know Sasuke's okder brother as he did.

She smiled widely, now looking like herself again "Of course, I was just surprised to hear someone else's voice, even I can get shy sometimes.

"yeah right, anyway I think we-" he was cut off by the door opening revealing their mother in all her furious form.

"I told you guys be down in ten minutes! What are you doing?" Kushina was waving her fist in the air, and Naruko and Menma hugged each other, their mother was scary!.

"Sorry mom, I..Sasuke called and we kinda lost track of time" Menma explained, trying to calm her rage.

Kushina immediately stopped in her tracks, her long red hair swayed behind her as she put a finger on her lips in thought.

"Oh, right, today is the ceremony, I should call them later, and congratulate Itachi"

She looked back at her two children, and huffed, pulling each by one arm.9

"But first! We are going shopping!"

She somehow managed to push them both down the stairs, and into the car.

"But! I didn't even have breakfast!" Naruko complained as she felt her stomach rumble.

"Well we will stop for some ramen when we're finished"

The blonde twin beamed at her mother, forgetting all about the shopping, Kushina giggled at her daughter's expression, and hoped that by bribing her with her favorite food would make the girl less reluctant on wearing a dress. She had eyed a beautiful light blue cocktail dress at the mall the other day, and she had immediately pictured her daughter wearing it.

Menma, on the other hand sighed heavily.

He knew it It was going to be one hell of a day!

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi, beamed at his parents,his vest and hat still in place, and degree in hand, as he walked towards them. The ceremony had just ended, and he noticed his mother's still wet eyes with tears of pride, and his father was smiling, which was an occasion for he didn't smile that often.

"That's my boy! Congratulations Itachi! We are so so proud of you!" his mother pulled him in for a hug, and his father patted him on the back.

"Yes boy, good work! I believe you will be a perfect president for Uchiha corp one day"

Itachi nodded, he knew that the company was always the first thing in the old man's mind. It was his baby.

"Thank you uncle, for having so much faith in me"

Madara didn't hug him, but just leaned a hand on his nephew's shoulder showing him his pride.

"Ah, it's nothing you deserve it"

He retired his hand? And looked around, at the people leaving the hall.

"Well, this old man is getting hungry, we should go amd celebrate somewhere, so, boy, know any good place to eat around here?"

"Sure, there's this place a couple of minutes from here, where theyake very good meat"

"Ah perfect, Fugaku, let's go gather Izuna and the others, they should be around here."

"Yes uncle, Itachi, we will wait for you by the car"

The long haired man just nodded and looked at them leave.

"So, I guess congratulations are in order?"

Itachi smirked an poked his little brother in the forehead, who just looked up at him confused.

"Thanks Sasuke, I know you really weren't that happy of me being here"

"Yeah, I was being selfish , but I am happy you're coming home, I still have to beat you at Tekken tag"

They had this thing since they were younger, they loved playing old videogames together. They got really competitive too, and Sasuke had this thing of wanting to beat Itachi in everything.

"Not going to happen!"

"Yeah, sure, keep telling yourself that"

The older just shook his head at his younger brother, and sighed.

"Look at you all grown up! I am so proud of you" Shisui was with the rest of Itachi's friends, well the one's that had managed to attend.

"Congratulations!" Deidara almost wanted to throw himself at the Uchiha, but Sasori was holding him by the waist.

"Yeah Itachi good job" Sasori added, smiling at the Uchiha. Kakuzu just nodded, but everyone knew he wasn't one that loved talking.

"Konan, Nagato and Yahiko send their congratulations! Too bad they couldn't be here" Kisame showed the black haired newly graduate a message on his cell phone.

"Tell them I will call them later"

"Sure thing"

"Fucking Uchiha! Now that you are graduated it's almost the end of an era! Now we just have to wait for idiot over there and we will all be ready to start our lives as adults!"

Deidara snorted, he knew Hidan was referring to him.

"Yeah, well, I will be going home and starting my life as an adult by next week, so, thanks anyway Hidan"

"We have to go Itachi, mom said that Madara is complaining, he's wondering what is taking us this long"

Sasuke pulled his brother's arm, and Itachi nodded.

"Guess will see you tonight, and have a last drink together, for sake of the old times"

Deidara smiled, and left with the others, Itachi gave one last look at the big hall where the ceremony had place and smiled sincerely, yeah, from tomorrow, he a new life, and maybe finally he could forget about Izumi. Yes, tomorrow sounded great.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kushina gushed as she looked at the dress she wanted Naruko to try. It was exactly as she remembered. Simply gorgeous.

"Here, this is what I want you to wear!" she picked it from the rack and showed it at Naruko, who just gasped. It was… terrible! Even worse than she had imagined! It had all the things she hated, the lace, the glitter and damn, it looked tight, would she even be able to breathe in it?

Ok… she simply hated it.

"There is no way in hell I am wearing that thing!"

Her mother gasped, as if she had insulted her and not the piece of clothing in front of her.

"But Ruko! You would look beautiful in it! It matches your eyes!" She pleaded looking at the blue fabric.

Menma just chuckled and whispered in her ear.

"I'll give you twenty bucks if you actually wear that"

"Shut up idiot"

Kushina looked at her daughter with puppy eyes, that made the poor girl cringe. Her mother was cheating , using that trick on her. She knew she was soft.

"Won't you even try it? Just for your mommy?"

Menma snickered, covering his face with his hands, trying to hide it, ignoring his sister's murderous glare. He was aware she would budge eventually.

"yeah 'Ruko, do it for mommy" She stuck her tongue out at the annoyance she called brother. Why did he even have to come?

"Just give me the damn thing" she muttered, feeling cornered. Where was her father when she needed him!

The red haired woman smiled in triumph and handed her the dress, following her excitedly to the dressing rooms.

"Believe me! You will love it!"

"Yeah I'm sure I will" she scowled, wondering what she had done wrong to deserve this. She could be a bit of a drama queen sometimes.

It took twenty minutes, but in the end, Naruko actually managed to get the stupid thing on, with her mother's help for the zipper.

She looked at herself at the mirror, and suddenly felt so weird. Was that really her in the mirror? It did look good, she couldn't she did have a good figure, thanks to her karate training, even though she always hides it with her baggy clothes.

She had never worn anything like this. The dress was pretty, actually, but it just didn't feel like her. She didn't do dresses.

It was a royal blue skin- tight knee lenght dress, very simple, with two thin lace straps around the shoulder and some sequin roses designs that swirled around it. She wasn't used on wearing things with that much shine to them.

"Come on sweetie, let us see it!"

"Yeah 'Ruko! Come out already!" Menma called, his voice somewhat amused.

"Only when you put that cell phone down! You think I wouldn't know what you're intentions are"

"Spoilsport"

"I heard you!"

She took a big breath, and then another, and finally, stepped outside.

"Naruko!" Her mother squealed and covered her mouth, eyes glistening. It was the first time in years she saw her beautiful daughter finally dressed up.

"And this is going directly to my facebook profile! Smile sis!"

She stuck out her middle finger angrily, and was about to rip the damn phone out of his hands, when she realized that she had heels on. Yes her mother had found a matching pair of shoes, and forced them on her.

"I can't even walk with these things on mom!"

"You will learn"

"Yeah, I hope before I break my neck or something" she muttered, frowning at Kushina's dreamy expression.

She looked at herself at the mirror, and sighed. Her mother was really happy and she felt bad. She didn't want to disappoint her.

"Mom...look… I"

"I know, you don't feel right in it. I guessed as much by your miserable expression" the woman smiled kindly at her and Naruko sighed "I know you really wanted wear this and…"

"It's ok sweetie, at least you tried it on for me, and I can always look at the picture Menma took if I want to see you in a dress"

"So you wont be disappointed?"

Kushina smiled tenderly at her blonde haired daughter.

"Look, I care more for your happiness than for a stupid dress, me and your father have raised you believing that we should respect who you are. Plus, you are beautiful no matter what you're wearing"

Naruko smiled brightly " Thank you mom"

Kushina nodded and winled at her.

"Anyway, we can find a nice pair of pants and a shirt if you want, why don't you go and take a look, I saw some nice ones over there, I will go and take the dress in it's place" She wasn't going to say that she was buying it anyway, hoping her daughter would change her mind, after all, Madara's retiring party was just around the corner too.

88888888888888888888888888888888888

Sasuke was glad to be back. He had missed his house, his stuff, but mostly he had missed his bed.

While his parents and his uncles had stayed comfortably in a hotel, he and Shisui had stayed at Itachi's small apartment, where he had slept on his brother's couch, that wasn't like his comfy bed at all.

They had arrived on Saturday morning, and he had slept from late afternoon, after lunch till Sunday morning, he didn't even know if Itachi and Shisui had arrived.

He got up from his bed, and put on some clothes, then slowly made his way downstairs, to get some breakfast.

"Well, good morning Sasuke" Itachi smiled at him.

He wasn't surprised to see his brother sitting at the table, next to their father who was reading a paper.

"Morning" he mumbled, voice still sleepy as he reached for the pantry and took out a box of cereal.

"So, do you have something planned for today, Sasuke?" his father asked him, as soon as he sat at his usual spot.

The black haired teen nodded.

"The guys are coming over this afternoon, if that's ok with you obviously"

He said hoping that his father would agree, since he had forgot to ask him before and had already told his friends.

"Hn" his father looked as if he was considering it.

"Me and your mother will be out all day, we are taking Madara to other part of town, to visit his old friend Hashirama"

"Doesn't he always say that he despises that tree lover idiot?" Itachi said, quoting what everyone knew was Madara's way of calling his best friend. He couldn't blame his uncle, he had met the guy once, and had to admit he was a rather weird type, not exactly what you'd expect from the guy that had been city mayor for a lot of years.

"Itachi, you know how you're uncle is"

"A heartless bastard?" Sasuke answered frowning at the memory of his childhood, Madara used to terrorize the shit out of him with his nasty glares and crazy hair. Who could blame him?

"Sasuke!" his mother scolded him, giving him the evil eye.

"Anyway" Fugaku sipped a bit of his coffee ignoring Sasuke's words

"Just behave, I don't want to find a mess when I get home"

"Yes father, we will just hang out by the pool, maybe watch a movie or something"

"Hn, anyway, Itachi will be here to keep an eye on you"

The older brother raised his eyebrows in surprise "Really?" he asked, not feeling up to babysit his brother and his teenage friends.

"They are underage, it's only responsible to have an adult with them to keep things in check"

Itachi scowled, he had planned to spend the day in bed, he was still tired from the road, and in still a bit of a hangover from Friday night.

"I guess, I will then"

"But, father! Shikamaru's parents always let us stay there even when they're not home!"

"Well, I am not like them, maybe Shikaku is ok with it, but I rather be more cautious"

The younger Uchiha huffed, and ate his cereal in silent fury.

He wasn't going to go against his father, but neither did he want his brother around with his friends, he felt like they would all gang up on him, and tease him.

"Itachi can stay in his room and do whatever he wishes, I just feel better knowing he's around"

"See little brother? I won't bother you I will be in bed" Just like he had wanted. Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad.

"As long as you stay in there"

"Are you afraid that I might embarrass you in front of your friends, neh Sasuke?"

"I'm not afraid, I know you will"

"You're just a-"

"Boys, no fighting at the kitchen table" Mikoto interrupted eyeing her two sons, who just figured it was wiser to not contradict her.

They all finished their breakfast, in silence, and once everything was in order, Mikoto and Fugaku we're ready to go.

"We will see you tonight, we might get home late, in that case, there's some left overs in the fridge."

"Mom, you'll be just an hour from here, don't worry we will manage" Itachi reassured her, as he and Sasuke stood at the door watching them leave.

"I know, but a mother worries"

"We have cell phones in case, we will ne able to fend for ourselves for a day, just have fun"

"Fun...? with Madara?"

"Sasuke!"

The boy just snorted and Itachi waved goodbye at their parents as they got in the car and left.

As soon as the car disappeared, Itachi turned to his younger brother.

"I have a bit of a headache, and I am still tired, so, I am going back to bed, try not make too much noise when your friends arrive, if you need anything, and only if you realy do, wake me up"

"Sure, I don't see what's the big deal, I have stayed home alone before"

Itachi shrugged and waved at his brother before running upstairs to his room.

Sasuke just out his hands on his shorts pockets, and heard his phone, notifying him of a new text message.

He opened, and smiled, sure that no one could see him.

It was from Sakura.

'What are you doing? '

Sasuke smiled, as he answered the message.

She was the only one who could make him smile.

He had met her at the bus stop, a day he had stayed in school a bit earlier. He had immediately noticed her, who couldn't with her bright pink hair?

She had smiled at him, and he, had ignored her.

It was only after a few weeks, where he had seen her almost everyday, that she jad gathered the courage to talk to him. At first, he didn't give her much confidence, but she was stubborn, and had eased her way to the boys heart.

She went to a different school than he and his friends, so he had managed to keep her a secret from them. She was on holiday with her family, since school was on summer break.

She would come to Itachi's party and then he would introduce her to his friends.

He layed on the sofa, he would text with her till the guys got there, and watch some television in the meanwhile.

It was around three in the afternoon, and he was dozing on the sofa, when he heard the buzzer go off.

"It must be the guys" he thought as he lazily opened the door, revealing the grinning face of Naruko and Kiba, behind them Shikamaru's bored face, and Menma with a neutral expression.

"Oi teme! We brought some chips and soda! Come on! We've got a whole afternoon of fun to spend together!" The blonde haired girl grabbed him by the arm with enthusiasm and dragged him in the back garden where the huge olympic pool was situated.

He sighed at the energetic blonde girl, he didn't understand how she could be so hyper, and Menna so…well like him.

He looked at his small group of friends, even if some weren't there, he knew that Sakura would fit well amongst them.

He just couldn't wait for Saturday.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Itachi sighed as he rolled again in his bed, trying to ignore the loud voices coming from the garden that he supposed belonged to his brother and his friends.

He sat up, as he went through his hair detangling them with his fingers, before tying them in a low ponytail. He figured that there wasn't much sense in trying to sleep now, so he threw on a simple white shirt and made his way downstairs in the kitchen, looking for something to nibble on, since he was getting a little hungry.

He walked into the kitchen and found an opened package of potato chips, he shrugged, put some in his hand and just sat lazily on one of the kitchen stools, munching them in silence. He was bored, and was really tempted to go in the backyard where his brother and his friends were hanging out.

"So, what's with that brooding face?" Itachi raised his head in surprise, and just blinked at Shisui, who was making his way towards him.

He grabbed some potato chips too, and sat on the stool next to him.

"What are you doing here? Didn't you say you were going to spend your Sunday sleeping all day?"

Itachi asked glancing at the other, his black eyes focused on his cousin's figure.

"Yeah...but, I get bored easily, so I figured I'd just come here. You know I have no younger siblings who I can give hell to"

"So, you figured you'd come here and give me hell?" Itachi raised one perfect brow.

"Well.. you are like a brother to me so, it only makes sense"

Shisui grinned and Itachi just shook his head.

"Who let you in by the way?"

"Oh that..." he rubbed the back of his head, a small apologetic smile on his face, Itachi gave him a look that said 'Oh yeah, that'

"Well since I know where aunt keeps the spare key, you know , I just helped myself in. Knowing Sasuke, he would just leave me outside waiting, and I have my doubts on you too"

"Hn" Shisui knew them very well, he had to give him that.

"So, what about you? Weren't you supposed to have a lazy Sunday as well?"

Itachi sighed "yeah, that was my plan"

"And...?"

"Sasuke and his friends are too loud. I could hear them all the way to my room."

"Ahh I see. I saw them coming in, they looked like they're having fun."

"Good for them, cause I'm not"

Shisui hummed and made his way to the fridge to grab something to drink. He looked as if he was thinking hard about something.

"By the way, who is the blonde girl out here with Sasuke? His girlfriend?" he casually asked as he tossed a can of soda at Itachi who simply raised an eyebrow at him.

"What are you talking about?"

He was surprised, Sasuke hadn't mentioned anything about a girl.

"Plus, he doesn't have a girlfriend" he felt like reminding his cousin.

Shisui snickered and patted his hand on Itachi's back who simply shook it off.

"You think so?"

"Wait, you think he has a girlfriend?" the long haired man asked, his black eyes, looking straight into Shisui's as if trying to read his mind.

The other just hummed, as he walked back to his place next to him.

"I don't think, I am sure. I heard him talking on the phone with a certain girl...I forgot her name, but believe me she wasn't just a friend"

Itachi thought about it, he had noticed his constant texting, and sometimes smiling like an idiot while doing so, but he had figured it was his friends or something.

"Maybe you're right"

"As always you might want to add" Shisui added with a smug look, and Itachi just chuckled at that. He couldn't contradict him, Shisui, apart from his easy going ways, was a genius just as much as Itachi was. He didn't act like it, but he was damn smart.

They stayed there for a couple of minutes in total silence.

"Want to go and spy on them?" Itachi suddenly asked, grin in place, and an evil look in his dark eyes.

Shisui nodded eagerly, and raised his hands to the sky dramatically.

"Man! I thought you'd never ask!"

8383838

"So, have you got any eights?" Kiba asked as he studied his opponents moves.

Naruko was sweating, and losing another game of Go fish! Damn, she had such bad luck.

"No! I don't have them! And you just won again! I hate this stupid game!"

Kiba smirked and extended his hand.

"Pay up, please" the grinning boy was expecting payment, he had already gathered five dollars and some cents from the girl.

"No way! I'm broke! This is the last time I ever play with you!" she stood up, and crossed her arms on her chest, a pout on her pretty lips.

"Fine with me, we could find something else to play at, making Naruko snort at him "You would beat me at that too"

"Oh that's for sure, dobe" Sasuke teased her from the pool. He and Menma had been swimming, and Shikamaru had fallen asleep at some point, and could be heard snoring once in a while. The rest of the gang couldn't make it, except Neji and Lee that were coming by later.

"Shut up teme, or I'll come there and drown you"

"Hn, like you'd manage!"

The blonde haired girl just growled at him, at which Sasuke answered with a snort.

"Uhh I'm terrified"

Sasuke got out from the water, and just splashed the poor girl, that just jumped at the feeling of the cool water on her heated skin.

"Damn bastard! I will get my revenge! Believe me!"

Sasuke had a smug look on his face that riled the girl up even more.

"I am going to kick your ass so hard you won't know what hit you damn teme!"

"Just try it dobe

"I am challenging you, right now!"

Everyone sweat dropped, Naruko's challenges always ended up badly, and Sasuke wasn't any better, he just didn't know how to back down. Those two were just too damn proud for their own good.

"Uh? What happened?" Shikamaru woke up and looked around him with a lost expression, studying his surroundings.

Kiba rolled his eyes at the other teen.

"In case you're wondering we're at Sasuke's, and Naruko just challenged him" Kiba explained, he grinned after that, eyeing the two contenders, this ought to be good.

Shikamaru rubbed his sleepy eyes, "Again?" he asked, sighing, Naruko and Sasuke were so damn competitive... their challenges lasted forever, since either one could accept to lose to the other.

Even Menma now was somehow preoccupied as he remembered what happened last time. All three of them had been grounded for weeks by their parents, and he didn't want to repeat the experience, he's only fault was that he had been home with the two morons.

"I am challenging you at arm wrestling!" she leaned on the nearby table. One hand holding onto it, the other in position.

"Arm wrestling dobe? Really?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her, and she smirked at him, blue eyes shining.

"What bastard? Are you afraid of losing to a girl?"

Everyone else winced. She had said them, the magical words, the words that got Sasuke riled up more than anything.

"What is going on here?" Shikamaru looked up at the newcomers, and simply sighed.

"Naruko challenged Sasuke"

"Again?"

Shikamaru simply nodded at Neji, who h

just shrugged, he was used to this as anyone else. Those two had been going at it for years.

"We arrived just in time. Might as well enjoy the show" the pale eyed boy sat on another sunbed next to the lazy genius.

"What a drag..." he muttered closing his eyes resigned.

"What have Iheard? My beautiful lady Naruko is challenging the nasty Sasuke Uchiha?" Lee had his fists closed and eyes shiny.

"Oh God" Menma face palmed and sped out of the water to keep that youthful freak away from his sister. Sure he liked to see her suffer sometimes, but he didn't hate her to that point.

"My beautiful Naruko! The power of youth runs deep in you! Show Sasuke how strong it is, my ray of sunshine!"

Naruko looked at him with a confused expression, and Sasuke felt his eye twitching. Lee rooting for the blonde girl would simply make him gag, they all liked the bowl haired freak, he was a good friend, but this crush he had for Naruko...no, he simply wasn't right for her.

"Shut up bushy brows, my sister needs to concentrate if you want her to beat Uchiha!" Menma was about to whack the poor boy.

Sasuke puffed, and got on the other end of the table, dark eyes filled with challenge, smirk in place.

"This, is the day you get humiliated!" the words had a venomous undertone to them that didn't impress the girl, she was well used to it

Kiba laughed and clapped his hands

"Man this is going to be good!"

Naruko ignored him, and looked at Sasuke

"You're going down teme!"

Menma sighed "I wish someone would just stop this idiocy" Hey, he had tried, and got grounded for it, he wasn't going to risk it again.

"What is going on here?"

Everybody turned, and the blue eyed boy let out a sigh of relief, someone had listened to his prayers.

"Itachi, don't interrupt! I myself am rooting for the girl"

Or maybe not. Menma was getting desperate, he could only hope Itachi was more reasonable than his cousin or those two would hand up breaking each other's arms

Shisui gave Sasuke a smug look, and the younger Uchiha simply snorted.

"Figures, you're just an idiot"

"Now, that wasn't nice neh, little brother"

Sasuke stuck his tongue out at him.

"What are you doing here?"

Itachi just smirked, "Last time I checked I live here too"

"I thought you were staying in bed, you said you were tired" he was fuming, and Itachi was enjoying it.

"Oh come on Sasuke, we won't bother you, you can go on and get your ass handed by hot girl over there"

Naruko couldn't see the two man, but the hot girl comment made her feel funny. She was about to turn around and give whoever it was that said that a piece of his mind, but Sasuke spoke before she could do it.

"Shisui you idiot! She is not a hot girl! She is Menma's sister!"

Shisui turned red, ok...maybe he hadn't expected that. Itachi laughed and Naruko recognized his laughter from that day on the phone. Again she felt herself blushing, and she was glad he couldn't see her.

"Eh eh...sorry Menma I didn't know"

The other boy simply shrugged it off, but, he hadn't missed the 'hot girl' comment, apparently his sister's beauty was starting the get noticed.

"As much as I would like to see Sasuke lose to a girl, I think It's wiser to stop it here, come on little brother, just apologize for whatever you've done, and move on"

"Aww man! It was getting good!"

Kiba complained, and Itachi rolled his eyes at the boy.

"Sorry Kiba"

"Kiba's here?" Shisui turned and just facepalmed.

"Great, now Hana will never give me a chance"

Itachi ignored the other's comment.

"Hey! How can you just assume I would lose to her?"

"Easy, she seems more determined than you"

The girl's eyes widened, who could he just assume that without even knowing her?.

She finally turned, her big blue eyes searching for Sasuke's famous brother.

Her eyes immediately fell on the figure of Uchiha Itachi, long dark hair styled in a neat low ponytail, pale skin, with wide dark eyes, bigger than Sasuke's, thin lips with a smik on them, she suddenly felt very conscious of herself. He wasn't as she expected, he was even better, Ino would probably call him 'hot' and she couldn't help but agree with her on this one.

Itachi's eyes widened as he took in tje girl's figure. She was not very tall, and not too thin. She had a perfect body, really, but, her face was even better. Soft delicate features, crowned by soft long blond hair, styled in a high ponytail. But, her eyes, they were what hit him Thety were simply mesmerizing. He couldn't pull away.

"So, won't you introduce us to this pretty lady?" the other dark brown haired man asked, he was handsome too, but not as Itachi, at least in Naruko's eyes. She felt her cheeks heat even more, as they adressed her again, and her blue eyes widened, probably making her look weird.

Sasuke just grumbled a bit more

"Naruko, this is my idiot cousin Shisui, and that over there, is my bastard brother Itachi, you two, that's Naruko"

"Very pleased, and...sorry for before" Shisui was walking on burning charcoal.

"It's ok, I guess" Naruko smiled at the man, he seemed nice enough and she forgave him quickly.

"It's nice too meet you" Itachi got closer, and offered her his hand.

"I-it's nice for me too" she took the hand he was offering, feeling it warm and soft, a lot larger than her small one.

He smiled kindly at her, and she felt her cheeks heat up so much, she must look like a tomato.

He just looked into her eyes, noticing just how beautiful they were from closer up. The blush on her cheeks favored her tan skin and gave her a sweet look, far away from the tempered girl he had seen before, she was simply gorgeous, in all her layers.

"You can let her go of her hand now, you know" Shisui whispered not so silently in the other's ear.

Itachi just blinked, noticing the other's stares, and remembering that both of their brother's were amongst them, he got out of his daze quickly.

Naruko lowered her gaze embarassed, and Itachi mentally cursed his cousin. He hadn't realized it had been too long. He let go of it and smiled at her.

"I'm sorry"

"N-no it's...it's ok" God, she was turning into Hinata.

"Naruko's hand is so soft and warm! I wouldn't want to let go either! Believe me I know!" Lee was now openly glairng at the older man, who furrowed his brows, wondering if he was something to the girl.

Shikamaru muttered a troublesome, as he immediately figured out the situation. Lee had evidently mapped out Itachi as his rival to Naruko's heart. Even thouhh the older Uchiha had just met the girl, everyone noticed the way he looked at her.

Neji facepalmed at his friend's choice of words. This was not going to end well.

Menma didn't say anything, but he had noticed more than anyone, Naruko's unusual behaviour.

Shikamaru was right, as always, this whole ordeal was going to ne troublesome.

"So who wants to order takeout?!"

'God bless Shisui!' Everyone thought at the exact same time.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

They were all gathered in Sasuke's living room, and had settled on watching some random movie on tv, while they were waiting for the Japanese food they had ordered

It was quiet, and the atmosphere was relaxed.

Sasuke was laying on the far end of the sofa, texting with Sakura, Kiba was on the carpet on the floor, laying on his stomach, as he boredly looked at the screen. Itachi was next to Sasuke, and Shisui, and Naruko was squashed again, this time though by Menma, and Rock Lee.

He had been practically attached to her hip since Itachi's arrival, much to her and Menma's annoyance. He had glared daggers at the boy, and sent him some menacing stare, though it wasn't helping at all, and the hyper boy was blissfully happy to have the chance to be so close to his Naruko.

Shikamaru was dozing off on the love seat next to the couch, and Neji had left with the excuse of an important family dinner.

"I really hate the way they killed the real Dragon Ball. It's so, disgusting the way they tried to just transform it into some typical action movie" Itachi spoke, and Naruko found herself smiling at his comments. The movie was Dragonball Revolution, and though everyone hated it, they couldn't be bothered in looking for something else to watch.

"I second that" Kiba nodded, and Menma hummed his approval.

"Yes, seeing Goku as a high school student is quite depressing, especially turning him into a loser who is being bullied on"

Shisui sighed, he had actually forgotten how much he hated it.

"Well, it could be worse" Naruko said, earning the curious glances of everyone in the room.

"How?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl, she immediately grinned back at him, her cheeks slightly reddening.

"They could have made a sequel"

Itachi blinked at her 'that was really a smart answer' he thought, this girl just kept surprising him. He was really interested now.

"See? Now that would be worse, two lame movies would be too much for the world to handle"

"Yes, I guess you're right" he beamed at her, and she simply smiled shyly at him.

She was blushing so much, she actually thought she could've caught fire. What the hell was wrong with her? That obviously hadn't gone unnoticed by the bowl cut haired boy, that glared at Itachi, who faked inot seeing it. Rock Lee was jealous, and Naruko absolutely oblivious of the feelings she was stirring.

Menma though noticed, even though he was busy with his phone as well.

"Well, I wished the dragonballs really existed" Kiba said while he rested his head on his hands, completely ignoring the suddenly tense atmosphere in the room.

"And then what? Go for a magical adventure with your stupid mutt to retrieve them?" Sasuke teased, raising an eyebrow at dog breath.

"Hey! Akamaru would be a better company than you at least!" The brown haired teen answered, offended by the way he had called his loyal pet.

They were interrupted by a light knocking on the door.

"Sasuke get that" Itachi ordered his brother that answered giving him the middle finger.

"Now that's not very nice, Sas'kè hasn't your mother taught you any manners?"

Naruko just earned the same treatment from the black haired teen.

"Bastard, you know where you could put that finger?"

"Why don't you tell me dobe?" he smirked at her, and she really felt like repeating his gesture, but she didn't want to give Itachi a bad impression. Which made her question why she even cared.

"Little brother, you are really too harsh sometimes" Itachi got up instead, since Sasuke wasn't budging

Naruko blushed as he walked past her and winked at her, damn it was getting annoying. She to talk to Ino or Tenten about it. It was the first time ever she actually felt the need for a girl talk.

"Thanks Itachi, he really is mean sometimes. But yeah, I would exactly do that and wish for me to become famous, rich and irresistible to the girls"

"Yeah, keep dreaming" Menma muttered as he changed station on the tv, the movie was just too lame to be tolerated.

"I would wish for Hana to finally go out with me, if only she could see how amazing I am, I mean, I would date me if I was her"

"Talk about being humble" Sasuke snickered as Shisui just sighed dreamily and both Itachi and Menma rolled their eyes.

"She likes you, you know, I heard her telling some friend of hers" Kiba shrugged his shoulders with his arms behind his head. He didn't see why his sister was giving the poor guy such a hard time. He liked Shisui and thought his sister was crazy for rejecting him. At least he wasn't a bastard like the younger Uchiha.

"Inuzuka, don't give the idiot false hopes"

Sasuke really was a mood killer. A heartless mood killer.

"Sasuke! You shouldn't get in the way of true love! It is the worst thing you could do to ! Love is the truest form of youth!"

Lee stood up suddenly, and pointed his finger toward the younger Uchiha that simply blinked at him.

"No one should get in the way of true love! not even you Sasuke!"

"Whatever, just drop it now!" he tried to stop him, this was getting ridiculous.

"Say sorry to this love tormented man! We should all be friendly enough to encourage him to follow his dreams!"

The black haired boy, stared at the other with mouth agape. Why was he friends with Lee again?

"That's right boy whose name I don't know! Sasuke stop being such a selfish ass!" Shisui got up from the floor, hands up in the air and a wide smile on his face.

"No, not you too"

Itachi gave both of them a 'what the fuck?' expression as he came back with the food, having missed part of it, didn't understand what was happening.

He looked at Sasuke with a raised eyebrow, the younger boy though didn't notice, too horrified to do so.

"Just…don't make questions" Naruko suggested seeing the long haired man standing there with a grossed out expression. He was picturing Shisui with a green track suit and bowl cut. Just that thought made him sick in the stomach.

"Please, not another one" Menma was getting worried, they couldn't have somebody else like Lee, just the idea was making him feel sick.

He was wondering when eldest Uchiha had gone crazy.

"My youthful friend, you must do your best to conquer the woman you love! Guy sensei says that the power of youth is the key to every woman's earth!"

"Guy sensei?" Itachi managed to ask, he was still a little baffled by the weird boy's way of speaking.

"Yes! You know him?" the long haired man swore the boy's eyes were shining as he mentioned his sensei.

"Yes, in fact I do. He thought me Karate for a while, then when I passed my first exam, I started practicing with a friend of my cousin Obito, Kakashi, he's been my sensei for years before I left for Ame"

"Kakashi sensei?" Lee asked, but before he could say more, was interrupted.

"You practice Karate? With Kakashi sensei?"

Naruko asked, eyes wide, as if she needed another reason to like the older Uchiha.

"Yes, I have been practicing it for years" Itachi answered with a smile at the girl, who beamed at him. Except for Sasuke who practiced Kendo, and Lee, no one else she knew was interested in martial arts. Except her father he had been a champion when he was younger.

"Itachi doesn't simply practice it, he's a fucking champion, he has won almost any tournament he has gone too" Sasuke specified, so he maybe wanted to rub in to Lee, how amazing his brother was, he was sure now, that Itachi was considered as a rival to the younger boy.

"Really?"

"Sasuke exaggerates, but yeah I have won some trophies in my short lived career"

"You don't do them anymore?"

"I stopped when I entered college"

"That is amazing! I practice it too with Kakashi sensei!, I have never been to tournaments though"

Itachi smiled even wider, his interest towards the girl increasing by the minute. It seemed like they had a lot of things in common.

"He's a really good teacher, a bit of a pervert, but a good guy"

"Yes he is, always reading that stupid book of his, I always wonder how he can even notice what we're doing if he's more concentrated on the book rather than on us"

"Yes, but still he manages to catch every mistake. Believe me, I know"

"I know! How does he do it?" Naruko was getting her hyper and lively self, far away from the blushing girl of just a few minutes ago.

Lee glared again at the older of the Uchiha brothers, getting caught by the haired brown man besides him.

Shisui scraped his neck, looking in wonder.

"Does he have a crush on her or something?" he asked, turning at Sasuke, pointing with his head at the other boy who was fuming in the corner.

"Duh you moron" Well, maybe Lee's language needed a dictionary of his own, if the earlier reference to Naruko, as beautiful ray of sunshine didn't indicate that he indeed likes the girl.

"Ah, I figured it was something like that" Itachi

"Well, this is getting cold, I should set up the table" Itachi felt the food getting colder under his fingers.

"Wait, I can help you with that" Naruko was starting to feel more comfortable with him, she still thought he was very hot, and she still occasionally blushed liked an idiot, but she found she enjoyed talking to him.

Shikamaru found that moment to finally wake up from his nap, feeling a bit more restored, and saw the two of them disappear in the kitchen, chatting about who knows what.

"Well shit, things happen when I'm passed out"

"You can fucking say that, world war three could start, and you wouldn't notice"

The blue eyed boy, said, folding his arms in his chest.

"Damn Itachi, succeeds in everything he does, I envy the bastard" Shisui muttered, he was sure his cousin was subtly flirting with the girl. He knew him very well, and could tell when he was truly interested in someone.

"Menma! Doesn't it bother you that your sister is being stolen by Sasuke's brother?" asked Lee, hoping to stir his brotherly jealousy.

"They are just setting up the table, not discussing what tablecloth they should chose for their wedding, just chill Lee, Itachi isn't even interested in her that way"

"Yeah right" muttered Sasuke, he really hoped his idiot brother wouldn't do something stupid, and get too forward with the girl. He cared for the freaking dobe, and didn't want her to get hurt, or scared away.

"Food is on the table!" Naruko's soft voice came from the door, whrere she was standing, Itachi a couple inches behind her.

"Look, don't they look like a happy couple?" Shisui teased, winking at his cousin. Naruko blushed and looked behind her, meeting Itachi's dark eyes. She hadn't noticed his presence till then.

Itachi smiled at her, he was smiling a lot that evening, and she quickly looked away following the others to the table.

"You idiot!" he slapped Shisui in the head. "What? you did look like a couple!" he complained rubbing the spot.

"Stop embarassing her!"

"You're doing it enough on your own brother, you are smiling so much is just disturbing"

"After we eat, you're doing the dishes Sasuke"

The Uchiha could only groan at that.

Itachi grinned behind his back, ah, sweet revenge!

88888888888888888888

"Man I ate too much" Naruko said, rubbing her belly, and getting an irritated look from Menma.

"You always stuff your face and then complain about it, your freaking eyes are bigger than your stomach"

"Well, I'm not complaining, just saying!"

"My sunflower, I could carry you home if you don't feel like walking"

"Uh? Thanks Lee, but I can still walk you know"

They were all about to leave, standing by the door, it still wasn't dark out, being only nine in the evening.

"Well, I better get going, or my mother will scream at me for hours if I go home later than what she allows, mothers are too damn scary sometimes"

"Troublesome, I would say, I'll go with you, let's go Lee, we live close by, mighr as well go together."

He was really just trying to get him away from Naruko, for Menma's sanity.

"All right, but Naruko, my dear, if you need me, I will be glad to carry you"

"She said no, are you deaf?" Sasuke's voice came from the kitchen, were Itachi had managed to really make him clean up, with a helping hand from Shisui. He could be mean when he wanted to, and shortly his parents would be back, so it was best they found everything spotless.

"I can't hear dishes getting washed" Itachi called from the door, he was being a good host and seeing of their guests. He ignored Sasuke's cursing with a roll of the easy.

"He will make some woman happy one day" Itachi grinned, and Menna laughed, it was awesome to have Itachi back.

"Thanks for the offer, but no Lee, I can manage, really"

The boy sighed, and resigned in following Shikamaru, giving the girl a thumb up and a small smile.

"What is up with him lately?" she wondered, and both Itachi and Menma sweat dropped.

"You really are an idiot dobe!" Sasuke apparently was paying too much attention towhat was going on outside, because shortly after he said that a crashing sound came from the kitchen

Followed by Sasuke's curses and Shisui screaming something incomprehensible.

"Are they ok?" Naruko asked and Itachi simply shrugged.

"I wouldn't worry, I'm sure they'll be fine"

"Damn! I forgot! 'Ruko I have to quickly run somewhere, go home without me, I will see you there"

"Where could you possibly go? It's nine o' clock, mom will have your head if you get home too late."

"Don't worry Naruko, see you at home ok? Bye Itachi! See ya!"

Naruko just blinked and the Uchiha simply waved.

"I really don't understand, everyone is acting so weird"

"hn" Itachi hummed, it was just two of them now.

"Well, I think I will be going"

"Are you ok walking home by yourself?"

He suddenly asked catching her by surprise. Her blue eyes widened "I…sure, it's not the first time! If some stranger gets too close, I will just karate kick them in the ass!" she said, mimicking the gesture, making Itachi chuckle.

"Sure, I am pretty aware that you can defend yourself, and surely don't need me…I just thought you could use some company"

"oh…well…if you put it that way… I guess you're right"

"Don't judge me for this….but….I am always right"

"You sound like Sasuke teme now" she grumbled, folding her arms on her chest.

Itachi smirked, and Naruko just couldn't take her eyes away from his pale face. He was really handsome.

"I do hn?" he inquired, he really lobed teasing her, she brought out the playful side of him.

"Sasuke, I am going out for ten minutes" he closed the door behind them, walking side by side with the girl, there was an awkward sikence, even though they had been alone before, now it felt different, almost intimate.

"So… Sasuke said something about tomorrow being your first day of work at the company…" She peeked at him from under her eyelashes, hoping he didn't catch her.

He did, but she didn't have to know.

"Yes, I am going to start as an intern" he confirmed and she smiled, it was getting easier.

"Oh? But…you are the president's nephew, why are you starting just as an intern?"

"Well so is Shisui, but, we both felt like earning a high position from the start wouldn't help us earn the experience we need to. I am going to be vice president one day, but not because of my name, but because of my capabilities, at least I hope it goes that way"

"It's very admirable Itachi" she said, and she really meant it.

"Well, it's just my way of thinking"

"You are too humble. You don't like receiving compliments do you?"

"I don't feel like I deserve themn I have been raised and groomed to be this way. They see me as the heir, and in such way I have been treated. I am fulfilling expectations, in a couple of years I will find a woman and marry her, and though people will congratulate me for, they won't be surprised, I'm just doing what's expected, anyway, you don't want to hear me complaining, do you?"

She chuckled "I don't mind it"

"You know, I never said these things to anyone before. I am used on keeping everything inside." He had never let even Izumi see this part of him, and now this girl in just a couple of hours had gained his trust.

"Really? It's good to vent sometimes, I do it all the time, you know, I have this kickboxing thing at home in the basement, and when I'm feeling sad or anything I just go there and kick it until I feel better, it works you know"

Itachi just stared at her, she was really an uncommon girl, he just felt attracted to her.

"I sound crazy, don't I? but, I assure you I am not, my mother does the same thing you know? It must be the Uzumaki genes, you know, my mother comes from-"

Itachi chuckled "You're rambling now, and don't worry, you don't sound crazy"

"Really?"

Itachi smiled, she was really capable of going from tempered, to sweet and to agitated in a couple of seconds.

She was adorable.

"I might pick you up on that advice"

"Eh, I'm sorry, I can talk forever if someone doesn't stop me"

"Hn, I noticed"

"So, here we are"

She said, looking towards her house.

"It was really nice talking with you Itachi, thank you for the ride"

"Yeah, for me too, and the pleasure was all mine"

They got a little closer, and she blushed, her hand tormenting a strand of her hair.

"So…I guess I will see you around."

"You definitely will" He caught one of her hands in his.

"Good night Naruko" he smiled, and fixed a blonde strand behind her ear.

"G-good night Itachi"

He smiled, and let go of her hand.

"See you next time" and he poked her forehead with his fingers, a soft smile on his lips.

He watched as she went inside, waving at him before closing the door behind her.

He smirked, he wasn't going to let her out of his sight.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Menma threw a little rock at the window, hoping that she would hear it. After a few minutes without any movement, he just threw another and waited again.

He didn't know which crazy impulse made him go there, but now that he was standing in the shadows of the huge house, he wasn't so sure it was a good idea.

Just as he was about to leave, the light in the room turned on, and the window opened, revealing a dark haired girl, looking down, searching for the source of the noise.

Her pale lavender eyes, fell on a black haired boy, with blazing blue eyes, looking up towards her.

"Menma?" she asked, voice astonished and eyes wide.

"Hi Hinata" he waved at her, with a small smile that was rarely seen on the Namikaze.

"What.. what are you doing here?" she asked, fiddling her thumbs trying to stay calm. Her skin was flushed and her heart beat had increased so much and so fast, she wondered if it was considered healthy.

"I...I just wanted to see you, and" ok, he had to find a good reason, he had left the Uchiha's house and left his sister behind to come here, so, obviously it was important.

"I was just wondering…well" he rubbed the back of his head, eyes looking in every direction except at her, and he could feel his palms sweating.

He sighed, and Hinata was starting to look a little confused. Well, shit, he didn't want her to think of him as a loser.

He was thinking about giving up, and just leaving, not because he was shy, that wasn't it at all, he had always been quite difficult in expressing his feelings, a total opposite of Naruko who could be read by everyone, and wore her feelings on her sleeve. But he wouldn't give up, he could do it.

Maybe it had been Lee's speech about true love, or Shisui's pathetic whining that lead him there, he wasn't really sure, but either way, he was a Namikaze, and their motto was to never give up!

"I am Menma Namikaze dammit!"

The girl's expression became a little hazy, and the dark haired boy mentally facepalmed in shame. He had said that out loud hadn't he?

"I know who you are..." she whispered, but he heard it, he was making a fool of himself, man, he really was lame.

"Hinata…I wanted to ask you-"

"Oi, you down there"

They both heard a voice coming from the window next to Hinata's.

"Hanabi?" she wass about to faint, it was all too much for her to take. Menma was there underneath her window for who know what reason, and worse her sister had busted him.

"Would you hurry up and ask her out? I'm tired and need my beauty sleep"

The older girl blushed harder and tried to stutter something, but she couldn't get out anything comprehensible.

"Uh? Yeah right" great, now a girl non older than thirteen was giving him orders, he was glad none of his friends could see him.

"Hinata…would you like to go out on a date…with me?"

The pale eyes girl gasped, and tried fanning herself with one of her hands, the other helping her hold on the windowsill, just in case her legs gave out from all the emotion.

"I…"

"You're Menma, right?"

The other girl, that was,much to the boy's annoyance, still at the window, asked.

"Yes why?" he answered her with a raised eyebrow, she smirked at him, and he had to admit this whole situation was getting quite weird.

"Then her answer is yes"

"Hanabi!" Hinata really couldn't believe this was happening to her. She felt so terribly embarrassed.

"What? You're always talking about him!"

"Hanabi stop it!...please"

Menma simply stared as the two girls exchanged words, but couldn't hide a tender smile that formed on his lips as he watched the blushing Hinata.

"All right, I'm leaving, I will pretend I'm not eavesdropping" the younger girl said, waving at him as she closed her window and gave him a thumbs up as encouragement.

He simply stared at her dumbfounded. She really was a character, quite different from her shy sister.

"I'm sorry, my sister can be nosy… sometimes" she blurted out, and then covered her mouth with hand a little ashamed.

"It's ok, I have experience with nosy sisters" Naruko never was mind her own business.

"So…" he was still waiting for an answer. Hinata understood immediately and gulped desperately for air.

She forced the words out of her mouth

"I-I would love to…Menma"

The black haired boy smiled in victory. Not that he wasn't sure he would succeed. He knew she had a huge crush on him.

"Hinata? Is someone there?"

But apparently he had forgot that Neji lived with his cousin, recognizing the voice as his friend's known for not having much of a patience.

He paled, he didn't want to face him right now, first, because it was almost ten pm, they would certainly cause a ruckus and then, Hinata's father would probably wake up and call the cops on him, or even worse his parents. He didn't want to face the rage of Kushina Namikaze, nor his father's sympathetic smiles.

Second, Neji was overbearingly overprotective of his cousins, and that was never a good thing, not for him at least, especially in that moment. He wasn't sure how the long haired teen would react finding him there, he would probably accuse him of molesting his dear cousin.

"I will send you a text to indicate where and when, now, I better go, before Neji shreds me to pieces in your yard. Goodnight " he said, giving her a full smile, one that he would only show to her from now.

"Goodnight Menma" she said softly, a loving look into her eyes, as she watched the boy she had had a crush on forever, leave her house.

Menna couldn't be happier, as he jogged home, praying their parents weren't up waiting for him. Mostly because then je would have to make up a reason for why he had left his sister walk home alone, as if she was a defenseless little girl. She could kick ass harder than him if she wanted, unfortunately, his parents, his father to be precise, seemed to think she was still a little girl, that needed to ne protected from rapists and whoever knows what, if his father would know she was starting attract boys, he would never let her out of the house.

He almost reached his home, when he noticed someone walking the other way, the figure looked familiar.

He thinned his eyes? Trying to figure out who it was.

Long dark hair, tied in a ponytail, knee length dark pants and a simple t-shirt, it really looked like…

"Itachi?" he tried calling the man, that stopped in his tracks turning towards him, he saw him wave and then walk back, meeting him in front of his house.

"Hi! I walked Naruko home" The Uchiha said as if trying to explain his presence in the neighborhood

"Was she scared to walk alone?" he asked raising an eyebrow, it was unlike his sister to ask for someone to escort her home, she was a fearless nasty thing, wasn't scared of anything, except maybe of ghosts, but it was unlikely to find any from Sasuke's home to theirs.

"No, I…actually offered her my company" the black haired man looked almost uncomfortable, as if he was admitting something. His black eyes were staring at him, and Menma thought he saw a hint of something in them. So it was like that.

Menma knew he was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid, or emotionally retarded like Sasuke, he understood emotions when he saw them.

"I won't oppose it, but be sure you know what you're doing, hurt her, and I don't care if you're my best friend's brother, I will hurt you more"

Itachi didn't say anything, he didn't even looked surprised, he just put his hands in his pockets.

"It was that obvious?" he asked, there was no pointing in hiding that he was indeed attracted to Naruko, he just didn't know what to do about it.

"To me it was, I have learned to read the Uchiha way of communicating through Sasuke. He is a hell lot worse than you, you know" he was smirking now, thinking about his best friend.

"He doesn't even know I know about his girlfriend, or the fact that he really fell hard for her"

The older Uchiha smiled, "So he's in love hn?" he was actually a little hurt that he hadn't figured it out. He used to be closer to his brother, and used to be able to read him better than anyone. His absence hadn't helped their relationship

"Yeah, he denies it though, it's only a matter of time"

"I guess so"

Itachi was deep in thought, he could tell by the frown on his face.

"I have to go now, Sasuke and Shisui are probably wondering where I disappeared"

Menma simply nodded, understanding the man needed some time alone.

"Yeah, my parents are probably wondering the same thing, goodnight Itachi, see you around"

"Yeah, goodnight"

The Uchiha left, and Menma finally got inside his house, cursing as he saw the lights on in the kitchen and heard his parents low voices coming from it. He tried to close the door softly, managing in not making any noise. Maybe they wouldn't notice him.

"Menma is that you?"

He winced, he had to have known better, his mother had a damn good hearing.

"Yes mom" he walked to the kitchen, and made a confused face as he saw his father with a desperate expression amd his mother trying to console him with an amused voice.

Weird was the right word to describe the scene.

"Something happened?" he asked cautiously, he figured whatever it was? It wasn't going be good.

"Nothing dear, just… your father saw Naruko talking with a boy outside our walkway a little while ago."

The black haired boy's eyebrows shot upwards at that. It wasn't good at all, it was a catastrophe, he knew he shouldn't follow his instincts.

"Kushina! She was talking to a man! Doesn't she care for her daddy anymore?"

"For Christ sakes Minato! She is a beautiful teenage girl! It was going to happen someday"

The scene was... he didn't have words to describe it.

"A stranger with long hair! What if he's a hippy or one of those drug dealers or…"

"Stop being so dramatic"

"Didn't you ask her who it was?"

Kushina shook her head.

"She said she was tired and ran to her room."

She was smart, she knew she would get the third degree, and the 'why don't you love daddy scene'

"Were where you anyway? Why did you let her come home with that… that hippy looking guy?" Minato asked, but he really was accusing him of not guarding his precious sister.

"Dad she is always around boys! Her friends are mostly males! Why are you making the scene now?"

Minato's eyes thinned.

"I know her friends consider her one of them, they don't look at her like that"

It was best to keep Lee out of this then.

"Minato, it's ridiculous, let's go to bed and forget about it. The kids are growing up, this was bound to happen"

"But…but…I don't even know who he is!"

"Geez dad, chill, it's not like he's her boyfriend, he just accompanied her home, she probably doesn't like him, and he probably isn't interested her!"

And probably he was telling his father a bunch of bullshit, but he didn't have to know that.

"Ok, I admit maybe I was a bit overreacting, but he did look suspicious with that hair!"

Menma chuckled, if only his father knew whose eye his daughter had caught he wouldn't be talking like that.

"Overreacting? Yeah right" his mother simply groaned, shaking her head at her silly husband.

She was laying on her bed, her fingers drifting more often than she liked on her forehead where Itachi had poked her. Everytime she thought about it, it made her heart beat increase, and she was afraid to admit what had been on her mind since she had parted with the cause of those feelings.

Had she really a crush on Itachi Uchiha? She didn't know how it felt to like someone, she had never experienced such emotions, well there had been that small period where she had a crush on Kakashi-sensei, but it had been an innocent one, she had been thirteen, and she had never felt for the older man what she was feeling right now.

She turned on her side, her covers slipping away from her hip.

She didn't understand how it happened. She barely knew him, she didn't know how his personality really was. What if he was an asshole, like his brother? She couldn't like someone like that, it was one of the reasons that had kept her from forming a crush on Sasuke, his nasty personality wasn't attractive in her eyes. But Itach...he seemed different. Sensitive, incredibly smart and well mannered, and he knew how to smile and actually make conversation, and, and it was the quality she liked most, he was funny without trying to much.

If you added that with his incredibly undeniable good looks…it made him the man of any girl's dreams.

Damn, she was screwed.

She stuffed her face on her pillow, hiding her reddened face. Even if she did have a crush on him, it was impossible that he felt the same for her.

He was too much for someone like her. She was loud, with a terrible temper and a foul mouth and a perfect tomboy who liked to wear baggy clothes and baseball caps, instead than nice dresses and spending time fixing her hair.

He deserved better, maybe someone like Ino, or those perfect girls that were often seen on fashion magazines.

Plus she didn't even know if he was free. Maybe he had a beautiful girlfriend somewhere.

"I'm putting too much thought into this"

She sighed, her blue eyes looking at her pillow.

If this was heartache, she didn't want it. Just imagining Itachi with someone else made her feel sad.

Maybe she could just will herself to not feel like this, maybe if she didn't acknowledge her feelings, she could pretend they didn't exist, this way sje could avoid getting hurt, knowing Itachi would never like someone like her.

888888888888888888


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Itachi was going through some documents that his father had given him earlier,to make some copies and organize them. He had to have them ready for an important meeting Fugaku had with some new clients from Suna, tomorrow afternoon.

Finally after all morning of running around, he finally found some time to sit down at his desk and focus on them, reading everything with attentive care, making sure they were absolutely spotless, his father would give him hell of they weren't.

He had been there for about half an hour, when he felt someone touch his arm, and shake him lightly.

"Aren't we serious uh?" He couldn't escape his cousin all day it seemed.

Shisui could have appeared out of thin air for all Itachi knew, he was too occupied to take in his surroundings, or to pay any mind to his bothersome cousin, who just leaned on his small desk giving him a mocking glare.

"Look at you, you're already starting to act like a perfect Uchiha businessman" He had an annoyingly amused tone that made Itachi's eyes roll and pout at the idiot for disturbing him.

Madara would have his head if those documents weren't ready by evening. He really didn't care to fail his first important assignment on his first day.

"Uh? I'm working in case you didn't notice" the long haired man didn't even tear his gaze away from the papers, too concentrated to do so, he was a true perfectionist and did everything with a meticulous attention. Someone would call him paranoid for it, but he preferred being safe than sorry.

"Well mr. Perfection, in case you didn't notice, it's lunch break" Shisui snickered pointing at the clock behind his back, that was marking noon. Itachi just stared at it with slight confusion and wide eyes. Shit, he really had lost all morning?

"Already? I didn't notice at all" he muttered taking off his glasses and rubbing his tired eyes, under the amused gaze of the older Uchiha.

"Well, you know the saying, time flies when you're having fun"

"There is no fun in this place" he muttered, looking up at his cousin and best friend that simply smiled at him.

"What? Are you missing your college days already? People usually tend to do that when they're forty year old, bored businessman" He sighed, now, that wasn't a very bright looking future

"Whatever Shisui" he replied dryly, as he got up from his seat, as the other motioned to follow him.

"Come on, since is your first day in the sharks den, I will treat you to lunch" he explained with his smile glued to his lips.

He had to admit, he liked having his younger cousin around, even if he too was transforming into a brooding bastard like Sasuke. He would have to do something about, the world needed him, two brooding Uchiha were too much to handle.

"Thanks" Itachi simply noodded with not much enthusiasm, he really wasn't feeling that hungry. Shisui grabbed him by the shoulders and guided him out the office, both ignoring the rest of their colleagues.

"Come on cousin, I am the best company you could ask for! And now that we work together we will see each other everyday!"

"I will never be rid of you"

"Never" Shisui was smiling like an idiot, making Itachi giving shudder, well at least one of them would be happy.

They stepped outside, and immediately felt the summer heat that had enveloped Konoha the last few days. Making him scowl, he really hated the hot weather, it made him sweat and his long hair didn't help, maybe he would really cut it, for his mother's joy.

"Damn heat" he groaned loosening his dark blue tie and taking his jacket off, letting out a sigh of relief feeling a bit better.

He swung the annoying piece of clothing behind his back and followed his cousin into a little restaurant around the corner.

"Here it is, it's a nice little place"

he said with his cheerful voice as he pushed the door open, and let Itachi through, closing it behind him.

" I usually come here during break, nobody from the company comes here, they prefer the sushi bar next to our building and others go home. I like it here though it's quiet and the food is pretty good." He explained, as he took a seat at a small table on the far end.

"What about my father? Where does he have lunch?" the younger man asked as he gave a quick look at the menu a silent waiter had brought them.

He had barely seen his parent all morning, and he knew he didn't go home for lunch.

"Ol' Fugaku never gets out of the office, he and Madara have their food delivered. I guess it's that way when you're running a company" The brown haired man mused as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess you will find out though, that is your future after all" he added and he raised his eyebrows at the younger man, noticing his pensive expression.

"I'm not that eager to know, and after all, they could give that position to someone else...like you"

Shisui opened his mouth agape, in pure shock.

"No way! Everyone knows that you're Madara's favourite nephew" he blurted, he had already made clear to everyone that he was satisfied as a researcher and wasn't aspiring in becoming a high profile executive.

He snickered at Itachi's unimpressed expression. He knew that the younger man felt he had done nothing special to earn that position, and that he couldn't understand why the older Uchiha had such faith in him.

"He is retiring you know, he won't be around to dictate everyone around, in the office at least" He would simply continue to dictate everyone in the family.

"I have a feeling he will still try and control everything anyway, old habits die hard"

"So, if my father will become president who is going to be the second in command?"

Shisui raised an eyebrow at that question.

"You don't know? The mighty annoying Obito Uchiha, he is the only one that, according to Madara has the capabilities, besides you"

"And you"

"I am being offered a better position"

"And is?"

"Head of the research department, when Izuna retires"

"Hn, you deserve it"

"Yeah...but enough talking about business"

The long haired gave him a confused look.

"What else would you want to talk about?"

Shisui smirked, dark eyes shining.

There is something we could talk about"

He pierced the other with his slightly lighter black orbs, as if trying to read into his very soul. Itachi didn't like that look, it was bad news when Shisui got like that.

"Where did you disappear to last night? And, I won't accept a 'Mind your own business' type of answer"

Yeah, he had totally called it. Bad news.

He had practically locked himself in his room to avoid the questions he knew where coming from him and his brother last night.

He was really considering going into hiding, or throwing his menu at his best friend and flee from the restaurant and then still go into hiding. He really didn't have much options, Shisui was a curious bastard, worse than any gossip girl, there was no safe way to escape him.

"I might have walked home a certain person..." he trailed hoping Shisui wouldn't understand, it wasn't his lucky day, plus, it was obvious who the other person was.

"You walked Naruko home?" his cousin inquired narrowing his eyes as he looked at him.

He didn't answer, but the short brown haired man didn't need him to. He already knew that he was correct. After all, Sasuke's bad manners of eavesdropping did come in handy.

"Don't make that face with me, I know you did, we heard you asking her"

"Than why did you want to hear it me from me? Idiot" he groaned, thank God the waiter was coming by to take their orders, or he might've strangled the older male without remorse.

As soon as they were left alone again, the younger man sent an irritated look at the other.

"What? Why are you staring at me like an idiot?"

"You like her, don't you?" he had a knowing look on his face, that Itachi couldn't handle. Shisui was a master in making him waver.

It worked perfectly. Itachi's glare was nothing compared to Shisui's. He was such a kind looking person, but when he used 'the glare' no one was safe. He was the best in making someone feel guilty with just one look, and he didn't even feel bad for it, and would use whenever the situation required it.

"Just admit it, she has caught your interest"

"You're really a nosy bastard" He wouldn't give in that easily, he had gone through worse.

"Well?" he sang with an amused tone that was really grating at Itachi's abused nerves.

"I might feel attracted to her, but that's it" he finally admitted, hoping that know they could let the argument go. He sighed as Shisui beamed in triumph, and he understood that it wasn't happening.

"Ah ha! I knew it!"

"Did you make a bet with Sasuke or something?" now it was his turn to use the glare, even if it was rather pointless against him.

"You know we would never do something like that"

"But we so did! And I won!"

"Bullshit, I know you would"

"Itachi, the real reason I brought this up, is we have been best friends for years, and I know you better than anyone"

Shisui then got serious, all of a sudden. Itachi knew, that the conversation was going to take a turn he might not like.

"I am genuinely interested in your well being, you know, the last six months weren't easy for you" he trailed trying to be as delicate as possible, he knew the other male avoided the argument like the plague.

Itachi's eyes widened, understanding where Shisui was trying to go.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I think it's time to. We haven't done so since it happened. You just pretended it didn't, but, I noticed during my stay in Ame just how bad you have reacted to the break up."

"Deidara tell you?"

"No, Sasori and Kisame. I didn't know you had turned to alcohol, and one night stands"

"It was for a short time, It helped me cope with it"

"Ok, so, do you want to talk about Izumi, Itachi?"

"I don't think this is the best of times"

"It is as good as any other. We don't have to get back to work till one thirty. It gives us one hour and a half."

Itachi sighed, there was no point in trying to make Shisui back off, he wouldn't listen.

"Why do you think now is the right time?"

"Because I saw you with Naruko yesterday."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Shisui inclined his head a bit, scraping his neck with his fingernails.

"Look, I haven't seen you that relaxed and lovely with someone since Izumi. It must mean something"

"If you are trying to get me to confess feelings I don't have..."

"That's not it, I know you don't love her or anything like that, for now. But admit it, you haven't felt anything in months, and suddenly you met her, and you're the old Itachi, the one we all so badly want to see again"

Itachi simply battled his eyelashes, not getting what his cousin was pointing out.

"You deserve to be happy, but, for that, you have to let go of the past, or you will never be able to build another relationship with someone else. Naruko could be that person, but you have to overcome your fears, and to do that, you need to confront them"

"And how would I do that?"

The waiter came by again bringing their food, leaving the question hanging for a few moments, that unnerved Itachi endlessly. He was patient, but the stern look Shisui was giving him, didn't promise anything good.

"I think you need closure. You need to see Izumi one last time"

88888888

Naruko looked at her watch impatiently, she hated when she had to wait for people, she herself wasn't punctual, but Ino was ridiculously worse than anybody else she knew.

She was at the bus stop, where she had to meet her two female friends. She was nervously fumbling with her loose strands of blnde hair, her blue eyes, searching for the two girls.

She was relieves when she finally noticed them in the crowd.

Konoha was hell to walk around at that time in the afternoon.

"Finally! Where were you guys?"

Tenten groaned and pointed at Ino

"Her fault! She takes forever to get ready!"

"Hey! It takes time to be perfect! Beauty takes hard work!"

"Yeah yeah beauty queen, let's go I'm dying for an ice cream, with this heat"

"You will have your ice cream, after I find what I need"

Ino had called Naruko and Tenten, with the excuse to spend an afternoon just between girls.

Naruko had accepted because she felt that maybe her friends could help her with her new unexpected problem.

"What are we looking for anyway?" Naruko asked as she peeked at a dress from behind the glass of a store. She couldn't figure out how it was made, it was really weird looking, and an ugly ochre colour. Who would wear something like that?

"Well, I need something for the Uchiha party"

Ino said, as she swayed her hair behind her back.

"Are you going too?" Asked Naruko with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Of course, they invited half of Konoha"

"Oh, I didn't know"

It sounded like a big event.

She immediately wondered if Itachi knew, and if he would like something like that. He seemed like a quiet and reserved person, someone who didn't love attention, especially after what he had said to her the other night.

"They are really making a big fuss for a graduation" Tenten commented, she hated these events with a passion.

"Wait a minute! Are you dragging us around to shop?" the blonde girl jad a dreadful look on her pretty face.

"Of course!"

"You couldn't have chosen two worst people then us two"

"I know but Hinata was busy, not that would change much she dresses like a nun"

The pale blonde said with a frown, if only she had a friend that was on her same train of thoughts.

"Anyway, have you already found something to wear?" Ino asked the other two girls.

"I don't really care, I just want something comfortable, I would go in a track suit if I could"

Tenten said groggy , and Naruko couldn't agree more. Ino on the other hand, stared at them with a horrified look.

"I don't even know why we're friends"

"Because you love us despite our awful sense of style" the blonde winked at the other girl with similar hair colour as she hooked her arm with her own, and Tenten.

"I guess I do, anyway, what about you 'Ruko? Have you already got an outfit for Saturday?" she was secretly praying the girl would say no, she was thinking of forcing her in a dress.

"Yeah, my mother dragged me and Menma last Friday"

The pale blonde simply hummed, her plan had vanished.

"Well, then It's just me"

"Ino you've got plenty of dresses and formal wear, why do you need to buy another one?" the brown haired girl, whined, she was hoping Ino would change her mind, so she could have her ice cream sooner.

"They won't do, I need to find something fabolous, I have to attract someone's attention" she admitted, swirling her ponytail with her fingers.

"Not Sasuke again" groaned an annoyed Naruko. Not that she cared.

"It's not Sasuke, I have given up hope on that one"

The two other girls shared a look of disbelief.

"So, if it ain't Uchiha...who could it be?". Tenten glanced at her friend with suspicion, rubbing her chin as she thought about their male friends.

"Shikamaru! It has to be him!" Naruko exìclaimed excitedly pointing her finger at the pale blonde that was staring at them with a bored expression.

"Like I would actually fall for a lazy ass like him" she muttered, it was clear her friends didn't grasp her ideal type of man.

"Kiba?"

"No! I can't be with a guy that cares more about his dog than me"

"Ermmm...Neji! it has to be him!" she just couldn't picture Ino with Choji or Rock Lee.

"No! It can't be Neji!" Tenten almost shouted, her skin flushing beat red as she realized that she had practically said it out loud.

"Geez, don't worry, I won't touch your precious Hyuga" Ino smirked, and the other girl snorted, putting her hands on her hips.

"It's not like that!"

"Of course it is!"

"I didn't know you have a crush on Neji!" Naruko was shocked, she had never noticed!

"I don't!" the other replied, her tone aggravated.

"All right, geez don't get scary like that! So, if it isn't one of the guys who could it be?"

"Wait a minute! Didn't you maybe, I don't know? Set your sight on another Uchiha?"

Ino raised a brow.

"What do you mean?"

"We saw Itachi Uchiha a couple of months back, and you simply couldn't stop talking about him" Now it was Tenten's turn to laugh, and Naruko paled.

Itachi...if Ino liked him too...she just realized that it wasn't thay easy to set her feelings for the raven man aside.

"I just said he was hotter than hell! Oi Namikaze are you ok?"

Both girl looked at her, she had spaced out.

"Naruko?"

"Uh? I'm ok, why are you staring at me like that"

"Wait a second, do you know Itachi?"

"I-I no! Well yes, but...I...ugh" she covered her face with her hands, she couldn't even form a correct sentence, she couldn't be that far gone for the guy, she barely knew him!

"Oh my! I can't believe it!"

Ino's green eyes widened and Naruko felt the sudden urge to run for her life.

"Tenten! I think she finally grew up! I knew you couldn't be asexual!I mean, Sasuke is hot and you never gave him a second thought! Now I understand why! You're into older guys!"

The brown haired girl, simply nodded.

"Itachi Uchiha uh? I certainly didn't expect it!"

"What? I never said I like him! You two are crazy"

"You don't need to, it's all over your face"

"Just forget it, I met him and he's nice and everything, but it's simply that" she puffed trying to conceal her red cheeks behind her loose blonde hair.

"Don't bullshit us! You totally like him"

"But doesn't he have a girlfriend?" Tenten asked? Remembering Sasuke mentioning it once.

"Had my dear, she left him for another man, that idiot"

Naruko didn't listen to anything else after that, she couldn't, the only thing she had in mind where two dark eyes, and a gentle smile. Who would simply walk out on something like that?

A voice though broke her out of her thoughts.

"Naruko? Is that you?"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Naruko gasped at the faintly familiar voice and turned towards it searching for it's owner. Her expression immediately brightened when she recognised who had called her.

"Gaara? What are you doing here?" she smiled at the redheaded boy that was standing in front of her with an almost invisible smile on his lips.

"Hey! He's not alone you know!"

"Kankorou! I'm sorry I didn't notice you!" she rubbed a hand behind her neck, lips spread in a big grin.

"yeah, people tend do that a lot" the brown haired man pouted. Gaara simply ignored his older brother with a sigh, and simply nodded at the girl.

"We are here with our father, he has an important meeting with both Uchiha corp and Namikaze industries tomorrow"

"And you didn't even call me to tell me you were coming? I could get offended you know" she said sticking her nose in the air and her hands on her hips, trying to look convincing, everybody knew she didn't get easily offended, it was almost impossible. No one had ever seen the girl truly angry it was a rare occurrence, and it usually was directed at a certain black haired Uchiha.

Gaara didn't even flinch at her words.

"We just got here Naruko, we have just finished setting things up in the hotel we're staying in, I would've called after we got something to eat"

He explained calmly at the blonde active girl, whose eyea widened and she grabbed his arm, latching hers onto it.

"I guess you're hungry then! Come on, let's go I will take you where they make the best ice cream and pastries in Konoha"

It was four in the afternoon after all, perfect for a snack.

"We don't want to disturb, it seemed like you had other plans"

Gaara looked towards the other two girls, who were watching the scene, the pale blonde one, had a frown on her pretty face, the other was just curious.

Naruko who had momentarily forgotten about them, got closer to her redheaded friend.

"Please Gaara, help me, or Ino will drag me all across Konoha shopping!" she whispered in his ear, and Gaara couldn't hold in a snicker at her frightened expression.

"Well, I guess I can't let down a friend in need" he said, and the blonde girl smiled, fist pumping in the air

"Yes! No shopping!"

"Man, she must really hate it" Kankorou commented as he watched the girl happy dance in the middle of the street, not bothering about people staring at her.

"I heard everything you know" Ino pouted crossing her arms on her chest.

Naruko's happy expression fell, and she eyed her friend in fear, she could have a mean punch sometimes, so it was best to juat stay away, for safety.

"Sorry Ino" she didn't mean it, she really was glad she could avoid a shopping trip.

"You liar! I know you're anything but that , but I forgive you" the pale blonde girl stuck her nose in the air, But she was smiling so Naruko knew she wasn't really mad.

Tenten giggled at their little bickering, and simply smiled at her oblivious friend.

"By the way 'Ruko, you forgot to introduce us to your friends"

Naruko's eyes widened, as she noticed how rude she had been to the two girls.

"I'm really sorry! Ino, Tenten these are Gaara and Kankorou they come from Suna and their father is friends with mine"

"Nice to meet you" Tenten waved with a big smile and Ino battled her eyelashes in seductive manner, she was still single after all, and if things didn't work out with her current interest she could always give those two a thought. Gaara was really handsome after all, apart from that weird tattoo on his forehead.

"It's our pleasure" Kankorou winked at both of them, and Gaara simple nodded in acknowledgement .

"We could all go together! Is it ok with you?" she asked the two girls.

She was obviously talking about the invitation she had made to Gaara before Ino had inturrepted them, but Naruko wasn't one to go into details.

"I would love to!" Tenten was just too eager too accept!

She then remembered the pale blonde's bossy attitude, and sent her a worried side glance.

"Ino? What do you say? We can go shopping another day, we still have all week."she would beg if she had to.

"Allright, geez, you guys would do anything to avoid entering a clothes shop"

She muttered, her lips forming aa perfect pout. She had planned their day, and she really wanted to find the perfect dress to impress Sai!

Gaara tilted his head to the side, and looked at Naruko, murmuring in her ea "Should I feel flattered or…"

"Let it go, Ino is like that" Gaara understood perfectly.

"As you say"

They settled in the small little place, in Naruko's favourite spot by the window, they had ordered, and were now waiting for the food.

"Is Temari here too?" she asked as soon as the waiter left, leaving them to their own business.

"Yeah, she stayed behind at the hotel, she said she had things to do that she couldn't do with us around"

Kankorou answered, leaning his face on his open palm, annoyance all over his face as he spoke.

"I would like to see her" Naruko expressed, she hadn't seen her in a long way, and although she was closer to Gaara out of the three, she liked them all the same.

"We could meet all together, I would like to see Menma too!" the oldest of the Suna siblings said, looking at Gaara to check if he was ok with it, his brother was a little seclusive, especially around new people.

"I guess we could do something" he approved, gaining a content giggle from Naruko, that high fived the brown haired boy.

"You should come at Shika's on Friday, we have this tradition of getting together to watch movies, you would meet the rest of the guys" Ino suggested, she really was curious to see how the boys would fit with the rest if the gang, she liked them.

"We should ask him first though" Tenten mused, the blonde completely ignored her.

"yes! You definitely need to come! It's going to be so much fun!" Naruko enthusiastically exclaimed, grabbing Gaara by the arm shaking it happily.

"Are your friends going to be ok with it?" the redhead asked, he didn't want to be a bother.

"Sure, they won't mind, plus you know Menma and Sasuke so, it's going to be fine"

Naruko reassured him, and Gaara nooded in approval

"So, I forgot to ask, how long are you staying in town?" the blonde inquired giving her friend a small smile. She hoped he stayed for a while, she always enjoyed his company, that way they could do more things together.

"About a week, depends on how father's deal goes, plus we are invited to the Uchiha's on Saturday"

"You too? Hell they really invited everyone" she commented with a frown, just how many people were going to attend?

"It is normal for important families to do so, Itachi will be Uchiha's corp. President one day, it's his big important event, some sort of Christening in the business world."

She couldn't avoid the faint blush to appear on her cheeks, Itachi sounded like a really important person, almost unreachable for someone like her.

Sure, she came from an important family too, but she wasn't like all the otjer girls, she didn't feel sophisticated enough, her parents never forced her to follow etiquette or to act a certain way. She was a free spirit.

"I see" she murmured, and she didn't notice her friend's concerned looks directed at her.

"Are you hot?" the red headed boy looked at her apprehension noticing the colour painting her tanned cheeks.

"Yeah Naruko, you look like you're burning up!" Kankorou added tilting his head to the side.

"Don't worry, it's just because you mentioned Uchiha, apparently she's got the hots for someone of the family"

Ino was getting her sweet revenge, and having fun while at it. The smug look on her face said it all.

"Uchiha? Are you crazy? He's a bastard! What do you even see in him?" Kankorou was the most shocked of them all. He immediately thought she was referring to the youngest Uchiha since he knew she was close with him, and she had been for a long time.

"She's lying! I don't have the hots for Itachi" she couldn't believe it, why did she have to go through all this again?

"I never said Itachi, Naruko" Ino smirked, her green eyes on her flushed face.

"Itachi? Oh…I thought you meant Sasuke, well, that's better, I think"

The poor brown haired boy was getting confused, that was why he never got involved in women's quarrels.

"I guess, he's pretty ok, once you get pass his cold appearance." Gaara added, making Naruko's eye twitch dangerously.

"Ah, you must know him well Gaara" Ino battled her eyelashes in a flirty way at Gaara that simply blinked. Naruko stood up angrily at that, she couldn't take anymore.

"You people just have to stop talking about it! I'd rather play Mario kart in isolation for the rest of my life and watch lame tv shows than have another second of this conversation! Now excuse me, I'm going to check why the food is taking so long"

She stomped away from their table, ignoring Ino's idiotic comments, and Gaara's worried stares, they knew her well enough to know it was best to leave her be.

She reached the cash register, giving a look at all the tasty looking food exposed, she was so engulfed that she didn't notice someone approaching, she didn't bother with it though and kept her position in front of the expository glass.

"So, I hear you like playing MarioKart?" the deep voice was directed , and had a familiar tone, she simply shrugged it off though, ignoring it.

"I have to admot it I enjoy it very much too" the person apparently didn't get the hint that she didn't want to be bothered.

She rolled her eyes, not paying much attention to him, but answered him anyway.

"Who wouldn't? I mean it's simply awesome" she answered him because she was polite, and it wasn't the man's fault if she had idiotic friends.

"I have to agree with you, It's the best, especially if you want to humiliate a stuck up younger brother, who doesn't like to lose"

She widened her eyes at that, and finally realized why the voice was so familiar, she turned to face him, almost scared of being right. It couldn't be, impossible!

"Itachi?" she stared at him, and almost gawked at him, he truly was a handsome man.

The black haired man was standing in front of her, in all his gorgeous glory. He was dressed in a suit, so he had to have just finished working, she suddenly felt underdressed compared to him. She was in jer usual tee and shorts, her hair was running wild, while his was neatly tied in his signature ponytail.

"Hi Naruko"

God, his voice, it made her melt, she might just faint there.

She realized that he must have heard her outburst, she prayed he had heard just that and not Ino's crazy comments about him.

"You heard that then, heh heh"

She laughed hysterically, hoping a hole would simply appear and swallow her whole..

"I heard the Mario kart and the tv series part, I have to admit, it does sound like a good plan to escape bothersome people"

"Oh…well, you know me, I give the best advice, you know, if you ever need one you should just come to me"

He couldn't hold in a smile at her blabbering away. She was just too pretty . She noticed she was probably talking too much, a trait she had inherited from Kushina, damn Uzumaki genes!

"I'm sorry, I just do this thing when I'm nervous, i just say anything that comes to mind…and I'm doing it again" she rubbed her hand on her neck, looking at anything but him.

Itachi's dark eyes, were fixed on her, and he almost didn't notice the waiter calling him to pick up his order. He grabbed the small package and handed him the money.

"Anyway, why are you here? I thought you Uchiha's hate sweet stuff" she couldn't help asking.

"That's just Sasuke, I myself really enjoy the dango they make here, they are the best in Konoha"

The blonde simply smiled, he didn't seem to have any faults, she was doomed!

"I see, well, I probably should leave you with your dango, I wouldn't want to ruin your moment"

"Yes, I get pretty jealous about my sweets, you probably wouldn't want to see it" and he knew how to make jokes, Sasuke looked like the evil brother compared to him.

"Really? i imagined you to have more sophisticated taste" she didn't know why she said that.

"I seem that kind of guy uh? no, I'm a simple man, Naruko" he gave her a look under his black and long lashes and she had to look away, it was too intense.

"I really should get going, Shisui is waiting for me somewhere, he will start thinking I ran away, he gets worried, poor thing"

He snickered as he imagined a desperate Shisui roaming half of Konoha looking for him.

"I am looking forward at beating you at Mario Kart one of these days." Naruko suddenly said, and he looked down at her, a little shocked.

She gasped as as she realized what she had said. It sounded as if she was asking for a date. Which she wasn't, she really wanted to just play videogames with him.

"I might take you up on that offer"

She widened her eyes at that, looking up at him, his dark eyes bore into her blue ones, and she felt hot.

He smiled again, finding her red cheeks flattering, he liked that he caused them, but he had to fix some things before he would consider acting upon them.

He raised two fingers, and she eyed them curiously, wondering if he was going to poke her forehead again, but then he stopped them middair, and his expression changed, as if he was pondering something, before he definitely lowered them and gave her a soft smile.

"Maybe next time" and with that he left, leaving a confused and dreamy Naruko.

"Holy shit! Have you seen that?" Ino had been staring at the two since she had noticed Itachi approach Naruko.

"Uhmmm I have, but…have you seen that?" Tenten pointed her finger towards the street, where another couple was happily the street. The dark haired girl was faintly blushing, and the black haired boy was smiling, which alone could be considered an event.

"Menma and Hinata? What in the hell is happening in Konoha?"

888888888888888888888888888888

Hinata was having the best of time, she was with Menma, who was silently walking besides her, as they got out from the movie theater, where they had just finished watching Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Menma made her choose the movie, and she had decided to see something that she knew he would enjoy.

He had obviously beeen surprised, and admitted to her that he didn't know she liked those kind of movies He was ready to see a romantic comedy or some drama.

"So, did you really like the movie?" the black haired teen, was worried, he wanted Hinata to enjoy herself with him, he had really liked her company, and she was more sociable when she wasn't around a lot of people.

The dark haired girl nodded, and smiled softly.

"I didn't really understand it that much, but Hanabi said that you would definitely like it-"

"You chose that movie because you thought I would like it?"

Menma stopped, they were getting closer to the Hyuga property now.

"Well…I-I didn't want you to think of me as boring, and she gave me this advice…"

"Your sister really knows a lot of stuff for a thirteen year old"

"She is a bit ahead of other kids her age"

The Namikaze simply shook his head, he didn care about her sister, and focused on the beautiful girl in front of him.

"Thank you, I really did want to see that movie, but next time, I want you to choose something you like"

Hinata's lavender eyes widened like saucers.

"N-next time?" she asked blushing a deeper shade of red, Menma's shoulders fell, maybe he had mistaken the signs and she wasn't interested in dating him after all.

"I mean, if you want to, you don't have to of course" he said, trying to fake a neutral expression.

She was too kind, and he didn't want to force her to do anything that she didn't want to do.

"Of course I do!" she blurted, covering her face with her hands embarrassed by her swinging emotions. Menma's closeness didn't help.

"So, you like me, Hinata?" he suddenly asked, surprising not only the girl, but himself too, he wasn't that bold of a person, but he really was interested in the Hyuga girl.

"I…I" she stuttered and when she realized she would probably never be able to answer normally she nodded vigorously. She was sweating, and the blush might as well could become permanent, for she would probably never get rid of it.

The boy smiled, a real smile, and Hinata couldn't help but finding him even more handsome than usual, his blue eyes were shining.

"I like you too Hinata, a lot." His cheeks had a faint tint of colour, and Hinata gasped at his words. Her dream was becoming reality.

"Would you like to go out with me again? Maybe tomorrow night for dinner?"

He was asking her for another date? Was this really happening to her?

"Yes" she simply answered, not trusting her voice that much.

"Good, I will pick you up at six"

She nodded, and he leaned in, and she thought she would faint when she felt a light brush on her lips. He had just kissed her, well it was just a faint touch of lips but still.

They looked in each other's eyes for a couple of seconds, and he was about to leave, when a known angry voice yelled from one of the windows

"what the hell are you doing with my cousin?"

Things had just turned ugly for poor Menma.

888888888


	11. Chapter 11

Itachi was nervously staring at his reflection on the big mirror in his bedroom, ignoring the voices of his stupid friends that had come over to 'help', as they called abusing his poor nerves.

Shisui had come over after work with the excuse of helping him, and quickly aftee him Deidara had barged in, with his explosive personality and a not so thrilled boyfriend.

They were all gathered there because Itachi would be having dinner with Izumi than night, and they were all preoccupied how he would react to seeing her again, something the Uchiha appreciated, but didn't find necessary. He wasn't going to go through the breakup phase again. Not this time. He would see her, he woukd talk to her and sort out his feelings to finally say goodbye to her and to what they had been together. He was ready for that. His friends, except for Shisui, didn't think he was, not after all he had gone through and so little time after finally picking himself up again.

"I don't see why he has to see that woman again, it's counterproductive, what if he goes into depression again? Un"

Deidara and Sasori had arrived the day before from Ame to attentd Itachi's party, and would spend a couple of days before leaving for Suna to visit the redhead's grandmother. The rest of his friends were expected tomorrow morning, they would stay just enough for the party before leaving again Sunday.

"It's called closure, and Itachi needs it" the other Uchiha answered at the stubborn blond, who simply puffed at that, and looked at his red headed boyfriend for support.

"I actually think Shisui is right this time" Sasori said, he was laying on the carpet, with his arms supporting his head, and a bored expression.

Deidara growled, and the Akasuna smirked at the blonde's irate expression. He loved getting him all worked up, he loved his feisty side more than anything, and he really liked being the one to piss him off. He was the perfect nagging type.

"Of course you would disagree with me, you always do!" Deidara threw his hands in the air in a dramatic pose, everyone ignored him, knowing his tendency to exaggerate sometimes.

"You dragged me here, live with it"

If it had been for him, he would have stayed in bed, not because he didn't care for Itachi, but he knew that the Uchiha was a smart person, he had a high opinion of the black haired man's intelligence, he didn't need people to fuss over him as a small child.

"I don't even know why I put up with you" Deidara muttered simply giving up, he couldn't come up with any witty retorts at the time, he had other things in mind.

"Remind me, Why are you two even together?"

Sasuke was laying on the bed, he couldn't miss out on all the fun after all, and had made it a point to just stay there and bother people. What could he do, he was such an adorable little brother.

"Don't you have somewhere to be little Uchiha?" the blonde could have killed him with that stare, unfortunately Sasuke wasn't impressed, he had survived Madara's glares after all, and they were the worst of all.

"It's none of your business, it's my house, and I can stay wherever I choose."

"Children stop fighting, I'm getting a friggin headache" The poor long haired Uchiha was tempted to commit mass murder if they wouldn't shut up.

"You look like a bunch of girls, I'm not going on a date, It's just dinner" Itachi pointed out, as he fixed the hem of his jacket again, since Shisui couldn't stop picking at his clothes as if he was an hysterical fashion designer working on his latest creation.

"Yeah, dinner with the woman who broke your heart" Deidara felt like he had to remind that particular every time anyone mentioned Izumi.

"I am not a girl" Sasori on the other hand, had other priorities, and hurried out to dissipate any doubt.

"We know, though I have my doubts on the crazy nut you call boyfriend" The younger Uchiha and the blonde weren't set to become the best of friends that evening.

"You little pri-"

"This really ain't necessary" The black haired man face palmed. His friends and his brother were just irritating, couldn't they leave him be? He really wished he had kept quiet about the meeting.

"Yes it is! We don't want you to get hurt" Shisui apparently had gotten over his fashionista moment, and was getting into hairstylist mode, staring at his cousin's inky long strands in wonder. He grinned when he came uo with something. Itachi cringed, not liking that expression.

"You should leave it down, she always liked your hair"

"Shisui, I am not trying to seduce her!" he answered in exasperation, Itachi was losing his nerve, the brown haired Uchiha had been the one to suggest this meeting, to finally get over the end of his relationship, He didn't see why he was worrying so much about his appearance.

"But you want her to regret leaving you a little bit, you know, a little bit of mean vengeance wouldn't hurt"

The brown haired man explained his plan, Itachi though, wasn't convinced at all. He wasn't that type of guy, he didn't hate Izumi, and didn't want to make her pay for choosing someone else over him.

"This will do"

He tied his own hair in a high ponytail, so it didn't get in his way, he didn't care what he looked like, he just wanted to move on, and finish this thing tonight.

"Fine, do it your own boring way"

His cousin muttered with a pouty expression that didn't suit him.

"I agree with Shisui, if Sasori left me for someone else, I would want him to suffer the worst pain's of hell, I wouldn't be so amicable like you"

Sasori raised his head at that, and sent a questioning look to his boyfriend, that simply answered blowing him a kiss.

"Don't say I didn't warn you" Deidara added shrugging his shoulders. The Akasuna was leaning on his shoulders, sporting a blank look, but everyone knew he was taking the blonde seriously, he never even considered leaving Deidara, he loved the blonde foolish artist .

"Geez thanks"

Itachi rolled his eyes at them used to their bickering, he didn't pay any attention to the pair, and gave a quick look at the watch on his wrist. It was time to go, he was already late.

"It's time to go? Already?"

Shisui was startled as a panicked woman, and Itachi ignored everyone, and walked out the door, leaving them all behind.

So he was going to meet Izumi again, he could handle it. He didn't need all of this support group, he would make it, and then he could start anew, and get his life in track. Sure, he had finished college, graduated with top grades, but he felt like he needed a change.

Back in Itachi's room, the remaining group was left to the their own devices.

"Well, I hope it goes well" Shisui was the most worried, he had suggested it after all, h felt responsible if something were to go wrong.

"You underestimate Itachi, he will be fine"

And Sasuke knew he was right. Itachi in his eyes was almost invincible, the admiration he had for his brother, had been covered by his desire to surpass him, but it was still there, buried underneath everything else.

"So, that leaves us with nothing to do" Deidara observed as he tilted his head to the side, he was bored now, what could he do, he was an active person and always kept busy with something, that was why he got into art.

"Well, I have a few ideas" Sasori sent his boyfriend a malicious stare, and Deidara felt his cheeks burn up, understanding immediately what he meant.

Sasuke felt like gagging, and Shisui really didn't want to think about what the red head was suggesting.

"No! I am not falling into that again! I am worn out, you damn horny beast"

The blonde apparently didn't care that there were other people in the room with them, unfortunately.

"I'm outta here!"

Sasuke was quick to exit the room, with an excuse of meeting someone and already being late, he didn't have anything against relationships, he was in one too, but he, surprisingly was a bit of a prude, and got shy when anything remotely sexual was mentioned.

The only poor soul left was Shisui, who was seriously considering fleeing from the window, and following his younger cousin, just in case the two forgot he was there and would start going at it, he hated being around happy couples, he was green with envy.

"Fine" the red headed man muttered, regretting letting the blonde out of bed earlier.

"I actually have a better idea! Let's follow Itachi!" Deidara suggested, causing Shiusui's cringful look.

"No! he will kill us if he sees us there" the remaining Uchiha knew from experience that Itachi didn't like people meddling with his affairs, just them being there that evening had irritated him enough.

Sasori stood up sighing and gave the two a resigned look.

"Fine then, let's go you idiots, since Deidara won't let me have my way with him, I'm going to get you both dinner"

He was hungry, and he knew Deidara would want to go out, not wanting to spend the rest of their Friday night in a hotel room, Shisui was there already so he figured he could try and be nice for once.

"I guess it's better than going home and eat alone in my apartment" The brown haired man said, accepting the offer. He really had to be lonely to go out with the couple, but better them than no one.

"Hey, we should get you a girlfriend so you won't be so pathetic"

Deidara patted him on his shoulders as they went out, and Shisui sighed.

"If only the one I so badly want would consider me"

He said with a hint of sadness, he never let it show how much Hana's rejections killed him, he always tried to act playful and act as if he didn't really care, especially in front of Itachi, he didn't want his cousin to be worried for him, he already was in bad shape, so, he kept it inside.

"She is a fool if she doesn't see what a wonderful person you really are, when Itachi needed you you ran to Ame immediately and offered a shoulder, picking him up, and getting him out of his depression, well, with our help"

Sasori elbowed him in the ribs, shaking his head.

Deidara casted him an angry glare, rubbing the sore part, he went on to explain to Shisui,

"What I am trying to say is, she would be lucky to have you"

The Uchiha was shocked to hear such comforting words and from Deidara nonetheless. He always wondered why Itachi considered the blonde loud mouth a friend up to that moment. He finally understood.

"I…thank you I guess, maybe you're right! I really am an awesome person!"

His hands where wrapped in fists and his eyes twinkled. Deidara and Sasori sweatdroppoed at him.

"Get over yourself now… you really have a big ego, don't you?"

Sasori face palmed as he stared at the scene in front of him, he just had wanted a quiet evening with his lover, how in hell did he end up with two idiots?

88888888888888888888888888888

Sasuke was pacing in front of the door of his house, as he waited nervously for Sakura to arrive. She had gotten home earlier from her trip with her parents and Sasuke had invited her to go with him to movie night at Shikamaru's. He figured that it wouldn't change much from his initial plan, she would meet his friends a day earlier than planned and in a smaller environment, where she would probably feel more at ease.

His parents were curiously staring at him from the kitchen where Mikoto was fixing dinner while his father read some papers he had brought home from work. They had seen Itachi leave with a frown on his face and hadn't thought much about it, they knew better than to ask anything to their son's already aware they wouldn't answer. They knew that when they were ready to share something important they would come on their own accord but Mikoto, couldn't ignore her youngest nervous behavior.

"Sasuke dear, is everything alright?"

She asked her voice calm and cautios, as she called from the kitchen.

He stopped dead in his tracks, and thought if it was wise to tell his parents about Sakura, they would eventually meet her anyway tomorrow evening, even if he was trying to study a way to avoid it.

It's not like he was ashamed of her or didn't want her to meet his family, he just wasn't ready for that. He remembered what Itachi had to go through when they met Izumi. Everyone had assumed they were going to get engaged, and had already made plans with Izumi's family for the future married couple, of course everything was changed now, but he knew his parents would probably assume the same with him and Sakura, and he wasn't ready for that yet.

"Nothing….mother" he answered her, trying to hide his nervousness, poorly, because she immediately read through him, she had given birth to him after all, knew him better than anyone.

"You hesitated" she observed, and he realized she was closer, watching him from the door frame of the other room.

"Mom! I'm fine ok? You have nothing to worry about!"

Just as he was saying that, three figures came down from the stair way, and Sasuke's eye twitched at them.

"Shisui? I didn't know you were here" Mikoto stared at her nephew with her eyebrows raised up in question.

"I'm sorry aunt, we came here earlier with Itachi"

He replied, giving her a cheeky grin.

"Oh, do you know where he went? He didn't say anything, just that he wouldn't be eating dinner with us"

Shisui and Sasuke shared a quick look, Itachi had warned them to not tell anything to his mother.

"He's meeting Izumi Mrs. Uchiha, something about closure and crap like that"

Deidara proudly answered, oblivious to the glares the other males were sending him.

"Idiot! You didn't have to tell her"

Sasuke face palmed, but was secretly glad she was distracted, he was sure she would forget he was even there know. Maybe he could sneak out.

"Izumi? He wants to see her? But… why? He's not thinking of getting back with her isn't he?" she asked, her tone getting more dangerous with every question. Maybe Itachi didn't carry any resentment towards the girl, but the same couldn't be said about his mother. She despised the woman that had hurt her baby.

"Idiot! It was supposed to be a secret!" Shisui slapped his hand on his face. Deidara had unleashed the beast.

"If that woman thinks she can come back and beg forgiveness and ruin all my plans, she is damn wrong! Fugaku! Get the car ready, we have an emergency!"

"Aunt Mikoto, it's really not necessary, I promise it will be fine"

"Shisui tried to calm her rage, and gulped loudly when her glare went back to him.

"I hope this wasn't one of your stupid ideas, Shisui dear" She was quite aware of her nephew's ways.

Sasuke gulped too, thanking his lucky stars that his mother had forgotten about him, leaving him in the background.

"Actually Mrs. Uchiha it-" Deidara was about to spill the beans. Sasori aware of the danger, and taking pity on the poor Uchiha, shut the blonde's mouth with his hand, as Shisui pushed him out the door.

"For the love of God let's get out of here!" the three disappeared, Shisui running as fast as light, Sasori quickly behind him with a smug looking Deidara.

Mikoto and Sasuke, stared uncapable of saying or doing anything else, the scene had been to much, and the woman's left eye was dangerously twitching, and the poor boy knew that it wasn't a good sign.

The doorbell rang, and Sasuke ran to the door, opening it, revealing a smiling pink haired girl, the danger momentarily residing in his home.

She threw her hands around his neck affectionately, and pulled him towards her.

"I missed you Sasuke!" she said sweetly, and he smiled for ten seconds before being reminded by a low cough behind him, that his mother, aka scary mom, was still there.

He didn't say anything, he unlatched her from him, grabbed hold of her free hand, since the other was holding something that looked like a tray.

"Yeah, wel'll talk about that later. Now run!"

He shouted a quick goodbyw to his mother and ran out the door with a poor confused girl behind him.

Mikoto sweat dropped and turned meeting Fugaku's unfazed expression.

"So, what's going on?"

"Why did they have to grow up Fugaku? Just…why?"

"Well, It's part of life I guess" he answered, hiding his amused expression from his weeping wife, he knew better, having been fooled before, that this was when she was most dangerous.

"My babies" she whined, sniffing lowly as her husband handed her a handkerchief.

"They're adults now, we must trust their judgements" he said wisely, acting as perfect Uchiha, stoci and unfazed.

"But…Itachi is seeing Izumi again…and have you seen Sasuke's girlfriend? She had pink hair Fugaku! Pink!"

Poor Fugaku sighed, he was too old for all this.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

Vey long chapter ahead!

Chapter 12

Izumi was sitting in the small restaurant she had chosen nervously looking around while she played with some strands of her long brown hair, as she always did when she was nervous. She kept her eyes on the door, expecting to see Itachi walk in any minute now. She had gotten there a little earlier than the time they agreed. She was a little anxious and her heart was speeding up as time passed by and she was starting to worry he wouldn't show up, which didn't make any sense, since he had been the one to look for her, asking to see her.

She leaned her head on her open palm, and waited, as the waiter eyed her, probably worried that she wouldn't even order and just walk out.

Her cell phone notified her of a new message, and she smiled as she read it was from Genma, forgetting about the waiter, and Itachi's unusual delay, she thought about her new boyfriend that was at home, worried about her, and probably unhappy that she was meeting her ex. He had not said anything to her about it, aware that she needed to see him, but she suspected that he didn't like it at all, probably afraid that Itachi wanted her back, or that she would be affected by seeing the man that had been such a large part of her life.

"Izumi" She raised her head hearing someone calling her, and almost gasped when she noticed the Uchiha standing right in front of the table looking down at her. She grinned at him, surprised that she hadn't heard him approaching.

"Itachi! I didn't notice you were here" she said putting her phone down, and focusing on the black haired man.

He was still as handsome and serious as ever, but his face held the familiar kindness she knew was part of him. She felt guilty all of a sudden, knowing she had hurt him and put that distance between them, it felt funny now that he was there in front of her, to realize just how deep the gap between them was.

She stood up, as he was about to sit, wondering if she should hug him, or kiss his cheek, she didn't know how to greet an ex boyfriend, and neither did he apparently, he looked as if he was thinking hard about something. He must of understood what she was worried about, and offered her his hand. A handshake, boy, could things get more awkward? Izumi wanted to slap herself but Itachi looked perfectly composed, a perfect Uchiha man, and sje couldn't help but wish that she could read his mind and learn what he was really thinking about. Itachi on the other hand relaxed, he was sure the worst was over, and decided that it was time to move from the pleasantries, and concentrate on the real reason he had wanted to see her. Planning was a part of his life, he couldn't help it, and it made him feel confident of having the situation completely under control.

Izumi smiled kindly as she sat down, taking a sip of water, trying to regain a bit of strength, she should have known that facing her ex lover wouldn't be an easy task.

The black haired man, barely replicated her smile with one of his own, glad of possessing the infamous Uchiha genes that made him look calm and composed when he felt totally the opposite without anyone suspecting.

"How have you been?" she asked once they got over the first minutes of uneasiness, her smile still in place, but it didn't reflect her eyes and he knew she wasn't as comfortable as she looked.

He studied her, trying to sort out what he was feeling amongst the chaos in his heart and mind. She was the same, still beautiful, outgoing Izumi, but she had this glow of happiness around her she never had when they were together, and he had to admit, it stung a bit. He realized that she might not have been as happy when it was him by her side, and that he had made some mistakes too at some point. He had never pointed the finger at himself, never admitting that he might have been a part of her distancing himself from him. He jad always blamed it on something else, their distancr

"I…am good" and he was surprised when he noticed he wasn't lying. He felt a little better, especially now that he realized that he was at fault too. He wasn't perfect, and maybe if he understood his past mistakes, he could do better in the future, and be a better man.

"I am happy to hear that Itachi. I…was worried for you"

He knew she would, she was too kind, and had always had the tendency to worry about the well being of everyone else above her own. He finally loosened up, and conceded a smile to form on his lips.

"You don't need to, I am fine Izumi" he reassured her as he clasped his hands in front of his face, his dark eyes looking outside the window of the restaurant. She nodded, relieved he was opening up a bit. But couldn't hide her concern.

"I talked to Shisui after we broke up, he said you didn't cope too well…I wanted to call you…but I was afraid that you wouldn't want to talk to me…that you would…hate me" she whispered the last part, but he had heard it, and looked back at her, his eyes wide and focused on her now, sad expression

"I don't hate you Izumi, I could never. It's true, at first I was mad, I didn't understand why you had to look for another man and never once realized I might have been at fault too"

He saw her expression change to one of surprise, but he knew her well, and could see the guilt flooding in her.

"No, don't say it was your fault I can't accept it"

"There must have been something Izumi, if I would have made you really happy you wouldn't have fallen in love with someone else" he explained calmly, his dark eyes looked straighr in hers, and she gulped. They had always captured her, making her feel weak, as if he could read right into her soul.

"I…I felt lonely, but, It's not your fault, you were in Ame, studying, thinking about our future, and here I am, accepting the courtship of another man" she looked as if she could have broken down any minute now, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Itachi felt the need to take her hand in his own to comfort her.

"I was selfish, and only concentrated on my goals, I am to blame too, I didn't give you much of my attention and started taking you for granted, that makes a woman feel unsecure and unloved. I have my faults, I never realized it or accepted it. I pushed you, without realizing it, into Genma's arms"

She listened carefully, and some tears finally escaped her dark grey eyes. She sobbed, wiping her eyes with the table cloth.

"I don't know if I could be so kind as you if the situation was reversed" she admitted, biting her lip, as she looked away. Her heart though felt lighter. She was secretly glad he was being so understanding. She had never felt right in pointing the finger on him, taking all the blame on herself.

"I could never hate you"

Itachi couldn't get himself to hate her, he never could. He had been blocked all this time, all these months, stuck in a sort of limbo and confusion, he was angry and he had let out that anger, the first months of their break up he had been barely a shadow of himself, anyone who knew him, had barely recognized him anymore. He had indulged in alcohol and easy one night stands with strangers, and his friends, worried for him, had tried to get him back on his feet, and they had done the only thing they had thought of. They had called his family. Shisui, Sasuke and his mother had left Konoha immediately. He still remembered how he had finally broken down when they had showed up at his door. Shisui had offered him a shoulder to cry on, his mother had cooked a good homemade meal, as she always did when he felt sad or angry. But the wake up call had come from his brother. Sasuke, so uncapable of expressing his own emotions had been able to take Itachi's out, and he had leaned on his brother for support. They had been the light out of the tunnel, and he had picked up the pieces, reorganized his life, that now didn't include Izumi, but just him. He had been fragile at first, and talking about her and their story had been off limits, up till a couple of days ago, when he had met a curious blonde girl, and he had felt like life had given him another chance It was time so, to face the past, and finally welcome the future. And he was more than willing to do that.

"You have been honest with me Izumi, you talked to me before you did anything with him, you didn't cheat even if you could have done that, you didn't. Until the end, you have been what any man would dream of having" And it was true, she knew Itachi would never lie to make her feel better, he was a man that always spoke with his mind first, rational and smart. It made her feel warm that he still held such a good opinion of her.

"I came here tonight because I felt like I needed to see you again to sort out my feelings to finally let you…us go, and I think I'm ready to do that"

The brown haired woman observed the man sitting in front of her, finding him the same in looks, but different in spirit, he had always been wiser and smarter than most kids their age, but he wasn't the boy she remembered when he left for Ame, he was a man. A man any woman would be lucky to have. She was proud of him, and wished that he could find someone that could make him happy and give him the love he deserved.

"I understand, I needed it too. I'm glad we both can heal now"

"I am too" The Uchiha meant it. He looked around, and noticed that no waiter had come around to take their orders, and he wondered if they had understood that they were having an important discussion.

"Maybe it's time to order something to eat don't you think?" he suggested, giving the menu a quick look already knowing what je wanted.

"Yeah, I think so too"

She smiled, and they spent the rest of the evening catching up, and talking like old friends, remembering their time together, their memories now, no pain left, but just sweetness and laughter, and Itachi was glad he had listened to Shisui's advice, because now he knew he was ready to open his heart to someone else, he smiled, as a blonde haired girl, with a bright smile and eyes blue as the ocean invaded his thoughts.

88888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko was sitting on Shikamaru's couch with a frown, as she ignored her best friend's bickering with Temari, Gaara's sister. The two apparently had a weird way of interacting with one another, and it was getting on the blonde girl's nerves.

"Cry baby! Admit it, you just can't stand to lose!"

The Suna girl smirked as she scored another point on the wii. They had been playing wii sports to pass the time, waiting for the others to arrive, unfortunately, the Nara and the Sabaku girl, had gotten into a heated competition, almost as excitingly disturbing as Sasuke's and Naruko's. To be honest, everyone had to agree they had never seen Shikamaru so lively and didn't have the heart to stop the ridiculous game. The lazy boy was succumbing badly to his new enemy.

"Troublesome woman! I'm telling you the damn remote it's not working" Shikamaru retorted, he had his pride to defend, he couldn't reveal that he was too lazy to be bothered following that damn tennis ball

"I say he doesn't know how to play" Kankuro defended his sister with a proud grin, and Naruko smirked at his comment.

"He's just too lazy to follow the ball"

Even Gaara chuckled at that, making Shikamaru's left eye twitched and he let out a sigh of annoyance, why did she have to embarrass him like that?

"Geez Naruko, you're such a good friend" he muttered glaring at the blonde girl.

"Shut up and admit it's true!" she retorted, a big smile on her lips.

"Women are such a drag" he commented scratching the back of his neck.

Ino who had been too occupied taking care of her precious nails to concentrate on the stupid game, raised her head, menacingly pointing the nail file on in her hands towards the Nara with a frown.

"You're the ones to blame for that, if you weren't such an oblivious bunch of bastards we wouldn't nag you so much" and her expression went automatically to one particular oblivious bastard, who was enjoying playing with his phone.

The brown haired teen, immediately understood who she was referring too. He had noticed her attempts of gaining his attention, without much success. l

"You know, she's talking about you" Shikamaru threw the remote at Sai, shaking him out of his trance.

"Hey!" the black haired teen didn't get why Nara was blaming him about something, he hadn't payed attention to what they were talking about.

"Just forget it Shika" Ino puffed, she had tried flirting with the other boy, but at a certain point, noticing how much she was battling her eyelashes trying to be seductive, he had asked with concern if she had some problems with her eyes, suggesting she should go to an eye doctor or whatever they were called.

"Sai? It's him! Your mistery cr-" Naruko suddenly found her mouth forced shut by a strong and mean hand.

"Shut it Namikaze, I don't want him finding out like this" Ino was terribly strong for such a tiny figure.

"You didn't say anything to Shikamaru though!" the poor victim screamed trying to break free from Ino's grip.

"Because he's discreet"

Kiba shivered, and Choji didn't even seem to notice the commotion as he kept munching his potato chips.

"Bullshit!" Naruko sent Menma a pleading look, but he smirked and stuck out his tongue. What a good helpful brother.

"Man, you guys are crazy" Kankurou laughed, he was having fun with this crazy group of people.

"You were right Naruko, this is fun" Gaara agreed with his brother and the girl's eyes thinned "Traitors" she mouthed, but that just made the Sabaku's siblings amusement grow.

"Them crazy? You still haven't met the worst ones, they are really batty"

Kiba laughed, and as he spoke, the doorbell rang, and a suddenly helpful Choji hurried up and opened the door, letting Neji, Hinata, Tenten and Lee in.

"My sunshine! Naruko what are they doing to you?"

Naruko rolled her eyes in pure annoyance, of all moments, Lee decided to be irritating in the worst of them all.

Neji ignored everyone, except Menma, giving him a death glare that would have made even the braver shiver, but the black haired Namikaze wasn't impressed, and invited Hinata to sit by him, ignoring her overprotective cousin.

"Thank you" she whispered silently, and he simply nodded, entwining his hand with hers, gaining most of the people in the room to gasp.

"Now, when the hell did that happen?" the blonde freed herself from Ino's grasp, and pointed her finger at her twin, that was doing the best to ignore everyone around her. He wasn't one to show much of himself, and that tenderness with Hinata was a first.

"Ugh, you were a bit occupied flirting with ta certain someone to notice them walk around Konoha the other day" Ino explained with a smirk.

"Wait a minute, you knew?" Naruko raised an eyebrow, ignoring the pale blonde's mention of Itachi.

"We all saw them, except you, you were to busy making goo goo eyes at-"

"A certain someone? Who is this certain someone?" Lee raised his voice, expecting some answers, he was preoccupied that his crush, his sunshine had her eyes set on someone else. His heart was racing at that, but no one was bothering to pay any attention to him.

"So this is way Neji looks like he has something up his ass, nice to know he hates your guts now Namikaze" Kiba snickered, and he covered his mouth with his hands trying to hide his laughter. Boy was he enjoying himself.

"Hyuga can say what he wants, I don't care"

Hinata was beat red at his side, trying to ignore the attention that was now on them, and let her hair fall around her face, covering it like a curtain.

"Hyuga doesn't need to worry about Hinata's virtue to be taken, we already know Menma is dickless"

"Shove it Sai!"

"You could have told me!" Naruko looked offended, and Menma sighed at his dumb sister.

"Apparently I am not the only one keeping secrets, whose this special someone ,ne sister?"

She pursed her lips together, her face as red as Hinata's.

"I don't have anything to say about that" she crossed her hands on her chest, her lips in a pout, like hell she was telling all her friends.

"What is all this fucking commotion? I can hear you scream from the door"

Sasuke walked in, followed by a still confused pink haired girl.

"Finally, we were waiting for you, I was getting my ass owned by this troublesome woman in the meantime, and then, people just decided to be fucking noisy"

"You're one to get straight to the point crybaby" Temari commented, her hand on her hip as she gave him a satisfied smirk.

"So, Uchiha, is she your girlfriend?" Kiba smirked as he eyed the pretty pink haired girl behind Sasuke.

"Wait a minute, Sasuke has a girlfriend?" Choji spoke for the first time,he was shocked a he spoke and it took a lot to shock him.

"The world is really coming to an end" Sai declared, "If dickless Namikaze and pompous bastard Uchiha found a girlfriend then we are all doomed!"

"Shut it you idiot!" Menma said through gritted teeth whacking the poor boy on the head.

"You are all idiots" Neji shook his head, he had lost all hope on his friends, they would never be a normal group of people.

"After Neji's wisdom, I would like for you to meet Sakura"

He grabbed the girl by the shoulders putting her in front if him so that everyone could see her.

"Hi!" she waved friendly, determined to fit in this weird group of people, but a huge gasp interrupted her, and she looked in the direction where it came from.

"Forehead?" Ino asked, looking at the girl in front of her. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, he did know that his girlfriend had a big forehead and that she had a low self esteem because of it, but to point it out like Ino, was plain rude.

"Yamanaka-" he was about to chew her out, but was interrupted by Sakura herself that with wide eyes made a surprised gasp.

"Pig?" she asked as she focused on the pale blonde girl, it had been a while from the last time that they had seen each other and had lost contact.

Everyone looked from one girl to the other with curiosity, and Sasuke himself, was starting to get confused.

"Wait a second, Sakura? Is that really you? Sakura Haruno?"

Naruko too? What was going on?

"Wait a minute, you three know each other?" Sasuke asked, wondering when and where they had met.

"Choji, I hope you have space for pop corn, because this is going to be an interesting night!" Kiba shook the poor Akimichi by his shoulders with a big grin. He was enjoying Sasuke's distress.

"Of course! Sakura used to practice Karate with me, before she changed Dojo and went to train under granny Tsunade! We lost contact after that"

"This Karate place must be popular" the Uchiha muttered under his breath, thinking back at Itachi's and Naruko's conversation about practicing Karate with the same boring teacher.

"Sakura used to come to my parent's flower shop with her mother all the time, our mother's became good friends, but when we changed schools, we lost contact too, and what the hell forehead! You used to be this insecure little thing! Now look at you, you snagged the second hottest Uchiha around!" she had to admit, she was a tiny bit jealous.

"Second hottest Uchiha?"

"Sorry Sasuke, your brother beats you" Ino knew no shame.

"Tsk, like I care"

"Pig! Naruko! I'm so glad to see you guys! It's been so long!"

Sakura had to admit it was nice to see two known faces amongst all of that crowd, and she was glad that they all seemed like nice people.

"Yeah! It's been to long! We should catch up, come with me, we can stay amongst girls, we are in a minority but…"

Sasuke didn't pay any more attention to them, he just felt exhausted, between the madness at his house and now at Shikamaru's he just couldn't wait for this night to be over.

88888888888888888888888888888888888

Shisui looked at his half empty glass, not sure if he was drunk or not, he didn't feel it, amd was pretty sure he was in better conditions than those other two idiots beside him.

They had gone clubbing after dinner, because Deidara had decided that he was going to find him a girlfriend. Sasori had raised a brow at that, and so had he, but who were they to interfere in Deidara's self proclaimed mission?

So, here they were, the picture of three wasted man. Sasori was half passed out on the couch, Deidara was still, surprisingly, or maybe it was the alcohol's effect, hyper active, while Shisui well, he could say he was a happy drunk.

"Look, look at her Shisui, isn't she good looking? I would bang her, if I was straight" the blonde giggled as he pointed at a long haired woman that was passing by their table.

"It's a man, you idiot" Sasori slugged from his position, he may be half passed out but he still was more attentive than his dumb boyfriend.

"Whatta you mean it's a man? Look at her, no man could have such a feminine body" the blond commented as he pointed at the person in front of them

The 'woman' turned in his direction, and with a voice that was far from feminine said "Thanks darling" and blew him a kiss.

It was a man alright.

"Damn" Deidara crossed his arms with a pout, and Sasori snickered "Deidara 0 Sasori 1"

The blonde gave his boyfriend the middle finger, and Sasori got closer to his boyfriend stealing a kiss from his lover's lips.

Shisui simply laughed as he turned his head to the opposite side to give the two some privacy. He secretly envied them, they were such a good couple, even if they fought most of the times and for the stupidest reasons, you could still see the lobe they shared.

"Hey pretty thing, could I offer you a drink?"

The Uchiha grimaced at the offer coming from the man, Deidara had bothered a couple of minutes ago.

"Eh, Actually I" he started to say, as he scratched a hand behind his neck, a little embarrassed .

"He's taken, I'm sorry" a feminine voice, cane from behind the man, and Shisui smiled apologetically.

"I'm sorry I don't swing that way, but, if I did, you would have an admirer right here" he pointed at himself confident of a back up.

The man shrugged and simply left, and the brown haired man, looked up at his saviorn surprised when he met the dark brown eyes of Hana Inuzuka.

"Well, look at you, half drunk in a club, I didn't know you had it in you, Shisui" the woman said with a small smirk on her lips.

"What can I say, I'm living out the single man's dream." He retorted taking a sip from his glass and grinning widely.

Hana chuckled at that and she took the glasses from the table, putting it on the tray she was holding.

"So, what are you doing here? You work here or you just butt in randomly to save poor undefended man from wrong hook ups"

She laughed some more, and showed him a tray.

"I work here, you know, have to pay college expenses, I don't come from a wealthy family like some of us"

Shisui frowned at that.

"Not my fault my family's rich"

Deidara that had kept quiet, mostly because his mouth had been busy doing something else, decided to stick his nose, even if Sasori was trying hard to keep the blond for himself.

"So, you're the famous Hana he brags so much about?"

Shisui shoved him away, with an embarrassed chuckle, and Deidara giggled like the drunken idiot he was.

"Don't listen to him, he had to much to drink" the brown haired man, justified his friend's big mouth.

"So have you" The blond giggled some more, and Shisui face palmed.

She raised a brow at that, taking pity on the poor man, after all she knew he had a crush on her, he had been trying to get her to go out with him for ages, but she had always turned him down because of the different background they grew up in. He was a rich member of one of the most prestigious families in Konoha, while she came from a simple family, and had grown up with a single mother.

"Kiba said he met you at Itachi's"

Shisui felt nervous hearing that.

"Really? And what did your brother have to say?"

"He said that I'm crazy for refusing to give you a chance"

Deidara gave a snicker and elbowed him in the ribs "nice, you got her brother on your side, well played my friend"

Shisui smacked his hand on his face, hoping Deidara hadn't ruined everything with his big mouth.

"Anyway" she decided to ignore the blonde's words, and gave her attention only to the Uchiha.

"I was wondering….are you still interested in joining me for a date?"

Shisui froze, and looked at her wide eyed? Before turning towards the were observing the scene with amused expressions.

"Would one of you mind pinching me on the arm, I have to make sure this is really happening"

"Sure" Sasori whipped his hand out and slapped him hard on the cheek.

"Woah you really slapped some reality in him haven't you?" his boyfriend was laughing, and Shisui couldn't hold in a curse.

"Sasori you bastard, that hurt!"

Hana leaned closer to him, checking his sore cheek, blowing on it a little bit.

"Was it really necessary?" she asked looking at the redhead that shrugged it off as if he hadn't done anything.

"He'll survive"

"You have weird friends" The Inuzuka observed as the Uchiha rubbed his sore cheek.

"I need an answer, I have to go back to work and-" she was interrupted by the man, that had gotten up while she was distracted, pressing his lips to hers.

"You will be my date tomorrow night at Itachi's party"

She blushed as she touched her tingling lips with her fingertips, dazed by the small kiss.

"But…"

"I won't accept another no"

"I actually asked you out, I won't back out now"

Shisui gave her a perfect Uchiha smirk.

"Good, then I will see you tomorrow"

She smiled and left quickly after that, hurrying up to go back to work, her ten minutes of pause already up.

Shisui sat down, still in a daze, and the blond punched him on his side with a smirk, the two of them started laughing, and this time they really didn't know if it was the alcohol or happiness. Sasori definitely passed out on the couch, started snoring happily. All in all, Shisui thought, that evening had turned out as memorable.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Shisui woke up with a terrible headache. He sat up, and battled his eyelashes as he studied his surroundings, surprised to find that he wasn't in his bedroom, in his apartment, but in Itachi's room, in his bed. His cousin though was nowhere in sight.

"My head, it hurts" Deidara's muffled voice came from the other side of the room, where Itachi had a small couch.

Shisui raised his head, realizing he wasn't alone in there. He searched for the blonde with his eyes

"Deidara? What are we doing here?" he tried asking his head pounding just from hearing his own voice.

"Shisui? I was hoping you could tell me" the blonde was sitting up now, his hair looked like a nest, and his face was pale as a ghost.

"Wait a second, where's Sasori?" he asked, looking around in worry.

"And what are we doing in Uchiha's room?"

Apparently he had just noticed where exactly they were.

"Would you shut the fuck up! I'm dying here!" Sasori's voice came from the floor, where he was laying on his back, a pained expression, as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What the fuck are you doing down there?" Deidara leaned from the couch to look down at his redheaded boyfriend.

Shisui and Sasori winced, the blonde just didn't know how to lower his voice.

"How do I know, I just woke up, and found myself down here"

"Ah, the joys of a hangover" Itachi had walked in so silently that they hadn't noticed him, God bless him. He was leaning by the door frame, his arms crossed and a big smirk plastered on his face. He looked like he had been awake for a while, dressed in casual clothes and his black hair hung loose and wet.

Sasuke was behind him sporting an almost identical smirk as his brother, his hands dangerously fumbling with his cell phone.

He grinned evilly, and Shisui thinned his eyes, he had a slight suspicion about what his dumb cousin might be doing.

"Sasuke…don't you dare!" he pointed his finger at the younger Uchiha, that simply shrugged, and the dreaded clicking sound of a camera resounded in the now silent room.

"And this goes directly on all my social profiles"

Itachi snickered covering his face with his hands, as Shisui gave him the evil eye.

"You traitor!"

Deidara raised his eyebrows, realizing what had just happened. He sent Sasuke a murderous expression, and said Uchiha understood it was better to run for his life.

"You little bastard! I am going to skin you alive once I get a hold of you! Making fun of our misery!"

"Try and catch me idiot!" And he fled, he had to save his phone from Deidara's rage, the picture deserved to be saved, it was gold, and deserved to be seen for years and years to come.

The blonde got up from the couch and ran after his amused victim, fists up in the air, without a shirt and with his crazed blond nested hair in head, swearing as he went, the profanities that skipped out of his mouth would make any sailor blush with shame.

"Could he be any louder?" Sasori groaned as he slapped a pillow on his face.

"So, what are we doing here?" Shisui asked, getting up from the bed, rubbing his hands on his face tiredly.

Itachi looked down at him, an amused expression, as they ignored Sasori's groans of annoyance.

"You were in terrible shape, Hana called me, worried that you wouldn't get home safely if left to your own devices, she looked really concerned for you, and asked me to remind you of...wait, how did she call it? Ah yes, a date"

Shisui's eyes widened and he rushed to Itachi grabbing him by the arms with a crazed expression.

"A date? So it was true?"

The black haired male, questioned his cousin's sanity, and a little bit of Hana's in that moment, of all the times she had to be finally convinced to give in to his cousin's courting? She had chose the worst.

"You want me to slap you again?" the red head asked from his safe haven, on the floor, raising his head a bit to look at the older Uchiha.

"No no, I think it sank in, but, thanks for the offer"

Itachi sighed and freed himself from his cousin's iron grip, leaning one hand on the brown haired man's shoulders, taking something out of his pocket with the other.

"Take this" he handed him an aspirin, then he turned around throwing the rest of the package at Sasori.

"You, get up, you have to go and pick up Kisame and the others at the airport" there was no time to fool around, they didn't have much time, and he could already hear his mother's voice from downstair, instructing the caterers.

Sasori muttered something, and got up, scratching his back lazily, still feeling worn out and not in the brightest mood. To be honest, when was he ever in a good mood?

Itachi ignored his complaints and looked back at Shisui, who was staring back at him dumbly, still confused. Sighing, the black haired man rolled his eyes and patted his cousin on the back.

"Eat something, take a shower, get dressed and go pick up Hana, I reassured her that you were going to pick her up at seven, it's already two in the afternoon" He instructed, feeling as if he was talking to a child.

Shisui was about to answer, when a screaming, crazed looking and excited Deidara barged in, interrupting him, and making an already cranky Sasori, hiss like a snake in pain.

"Mrs Uchiha asked me to help her decorate for the party! I knew your mother had good taste, Itachi!, Sasori darling, remember to go back to the hotel and pick up my suit, I will be busy all afternoon, so I will get dressed here" he blew a kiss at his boyfriend, and disappeared with a beaming insane smile but, since it was Deidara, no one was actually surprised.

The three men had only time to blink. Sasori groaned, and combed his fingers through his tousled red locks, wide awake now.

"He is going to be the death of me, I don't know why I put up with him and his energy" the red head said, though a small smile was visible on his thin lips.

"Well, I guess I will be going, it seems I have a busy schedule this afternoon." The Akasuna grunted, not feeling in condition to do anything. He waved at the other two, leaving them behind, already planning on taking a nice long shower once he got back to his hotel room.

Shisui and Itachi looked at each other as he left, leaving them alone in the raven's bedroom.

"Man, I really have weird friends" Itachi commented with his brows furrowed, his fingers pinching his forehead in a distressed stance.

Shisui snapped out of his daze and smirked looking at his cousin. It was just the two of them and it was a perfect occasion for the older Uchiha to inquire about Itachi's dinner with his ex girlfriend. He was dying of curiosity, still not knowing how it had went.

"Now that is just us.. how did it go with Izumi?"

"Hm? I don't think it's the best time to talk about it" hi cousin still looked a little out of it.

"Shut up and just tell me"

Itachi put his hands on his hips as he decided the best way to satisfy his cousin's curiosity without revealing too much.

The black haired Uchiha, knew the third degree was going to come, so, he had already braced himself.

"It did me good, just like you said" it was enough, and he was confident there wasn't anything to add.

He smirked, crossing his arms on his chest, he was sure of himself now, and his behavior told Shisui that he was already planning something. He was satisfied, it had been a long time since he had last seen that strong aura around his younger cousin.

"I'm glad, I don't think I could have handled a depressed Itachi again"

"I don't think you will see him again"

Itachi's smirk was still in place, and Shisui knew he had already something in mind.

"You're planning something, aren't you?" he asked, and he gave the raven a smirk of his own, as Itachi left the room, stopping by the door, before one last glance at his best friend.

"Well dear cousin, I guess you will have to wait and see"

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi looked at his watch as he brooded in a corner, observing his surroundings and looking at the newly arrived guests, he was feeling rather constricted and miserable in his black tailored suit, his black and white tie almost choking him, it was too damn hot for wearing such clothes. His long hair, tied in a low ponytail, weren't helping his situation.

He had greeted everyone one, his mother was hot on his trail and wouldn't let him act rudely at his own party, so she had made sure he was polite with everyone and at least exchanged two words with everyone, so, he had complimented the Yamanaka's for their flowers arrangements, while their daughter, sent him flirty glares, he had politely ignored them, and left them to greet Rasa Sabaku and his kids. He knew them already and he hadn't spent more than two minutes with the family. Then came the Akimichi's responsible for the catering and family friends, the Nara's, the Aburame, Hashirama Senju, with his wife Mito with their granddaughter currently Konoha's mayor, with her husband Jiraya a famed writer, Kakashi and obviously the Hyuga's, plus his relatives amongst them was his uncle Izuna, Shisui's parents, and last, but the one that had surprised him the most, Madara. And there were still to come.

His uncle, had pulled him aside and put a small package in his hands. Itachi had looked at his uncle's deep dark eyes so similar to his in question, and was taken aback when he read some emotion in them. Now, Madara wasn't emotional, and the raven had never seen such an expression on his face, he was starting to get worried.

"Open it kid" he suggested, indicating what was in his hands, and Itachi complied quickly, satisfying his own curiosity. He unwrapped it, revealing a small wooden box, but the real surprise was what was inside the box. A beautiful silver pocket compass, that looked antique, and very well crafted. Itachi opened it and noticed that it ha some words engraved on it.

"Be fearless" he read, and gave a quick look at his uncle, that was smiling warmly.

"My father gave this to me the day he passed Uchiha corp's presidency to me."

The raven widened his eyes, realizing what an important gift he was being given. Madara's trust.

"But…I" he was at loss for words, for the first time he didn't know what to say, he didn't feel like he deserved it yet, he still had to show his worth.

"I am not worthy, uncle, not yet" he finally said, understanding that the compass was just a symbol.

"You are Itachi. Believe me, I have observed you since you were a small child. If there is anyone worthy of my trust and respect is you. I am sure the company I worked hard on all of my life,will be in good hands with you. You, my dear nephew? Are the future. Follow your dreams, achieve your goals, be fearless, in anything in life, fight for what you want. There's only one advice though, I want you to follow." He stopped for a few secodns, letting his words sink in.

"Don't do this alone, Itachi. Business it's not all in life, being successful is worthless without somebody by your side. I sacrificed everything for the business, and now…I regret it"

Itachi gave Madara a soft smile, and hugged him, taking his uncle by surprise, Uchiha's never hugged anyone, they were more of pat on the back type of people, but, his uncle answered him, tightening his arms around him.

"Thank you, I will do my best" and he meant it. He wasn't going to let his uncle down, not after the words and the gift he had given him.

"I know you will, that's the Uchiha way after all, now go, you don't want to spend the rest of your party with an old fart like me, plus I think you're mother is plotting something"

Itachi rolled his eyes at Madara's amused expression.

"When isn't she?" he groaned, as he heard his mother's voice, calling someone, he turned in their direction, seeing his mother hug a red haired woman, laughing, and his father beside them shaking hands with a blonde man that looked fairlt familiar.

"Who are they?" he asked at his uncle, who looked in his direction.

"Hm? Ah them, Kushina and Minato Namikaze, your father just closed a good deal with them, having them as partners will be productive for our and their business."

"Namikaze…" he mused, so they were Naruko's parents, and if they had arrived, that meant she was surely hanging around somewhere, and he was determined to find her. His evening had just gotten interesting.

8888888

Naruko and Menma were at the buffet stand, staring at the delicious food, The black haired teen's mouth watering at the sight, Naruko on the other hand, was shockingly feeling too nervous to eat, and felt rather nauseous from agitation, as her gaze studied all around the garden, gathering a few curious stares from her brother.

"Naruko, are you all right?" He looked at his sister suspiciously, almost suspecting the reason of her unusual behavior. His mouth turned upwards in an amused smile.

"Ah I see, It's about that special someone Ino was bragging about yesterday. I wonder who it is" he said, already guessing who it was, he wasn't stupid after all, and had noticed her sister's embarrassment when someone mentioned the name Uchiha. He was pretty sure that Itachi wasn't indifferent either, and had already warned the older male, so he was satisfied, having fulfilled his duties as a devoted brother. Now he would just have to sit back and wait for developments.

"Shut up, isn't your girlfriend here yet?" Naruko asked as she tormented the hem of her white dress shirt, her nervousness had only increased, much to Menma's entertainment.

"Changing argument, very mature sister" he said, grabbing a plate for himself, giving into temptation and hunger, as he filled it up, nodding at Choji, that was stationed close by.

He decided to let his sister be, or she might decide to karate kick his ass in front of anyone, and he didn't want to risk it. Her temper was something to not underestimate. He would remember to warn the poor Uchiha, if the two ever got together.

"Where are the others?" he asked at the Akimichi when he got closer to him, Naruko still by his side, still looking around agitated.

"I think they are over to the pool side, there is some music, one of Itachi's friends is a dj apparently."

Choji explained between bites, and Menma hummed and smiled as he saw Hinata approaching. He hadn't seen her the last few days and he missed her. Maybe he had softened too much already, but what could he do? Hinata was just to special and sweet, he had fallen hard.

"How the mighty has fallen" Naruko grinned, as she saw her brother's expression change, and his eyes soften. She had never seen her twin show his feelings that easily, Hinata was really special to him, she assumed.

The blonde sighed, already understanding that she was going to be the third wheel and decided to leave her brother and her friend and Choji and his food to themselves.

"I'm going over there, see what they're doing"

She said waving at the two, and smiling at Hinata, dressed in a pretty knee length lavender dress and her hair curled nicely, smiling back at her with a soft blush as the black haired Namikaze walked to her and kissed her cheek.

She giggled at them as reached the patio outside, close to the swimming pool, where she spotted Ino, dressed in a fancy black and white long greek style dress, all her hair up in a bun, and Ten Ten wearing a chinese style red and white dress, close to them, an annoyed looking Neji, Shino always wearing his signature sunglasses, and a weirdly brooding looking Shikamaru. She still hadn't seen an Uchiha, which was strange, considering she was in their home. Even Sasuke seemed to have dissapeared

"Naruko! We thought you would never arrive! Ugh, what are you wearing?" Ino sent her a critical look, and she was almost to the point of despair when she realized the blond Namikaze hadn't even bothered applying any make up. Her hair was the only passable thing, pulled back in a nicely done french braid.

Naruko widened her eyes at her friend's frowning expression, sticking her nose in the air in a sort of protest.

"There is nothing wrong with my clothes, stop looking at me as if you were some sort of fashion police"

The pale blonde gawked at her, feeling almost insulted.

"You will never snag your Uchiha dressed like that"

"I don't want to snag anyone Ino" why oh why did Ino have to continue bothering her with this story?

"Weren't you trying to snag someone?"

Her friend rolled her eyes at that, putting a hand on her hip in annoyance.

"Yes, he is with his brother right now, I think they went to the buffet"

The blonde frowned, she hadn't noticed him when she was there, minutes ago.

"We should go there too, I'm starving" Tenten complained, her hands on her stomach, as she looked towards the food with longing in her brown eyes.

"Then he will think I'm following him, and he will know I am after him" Ino explained at the two other girls, that apparently had never tried to get a guy to court them.

"But, isn't that the point? Get him to notice you?" Naruko was confused, not really a genius in these sort of things, Tenten on the other hand, was almost teary, feeling her stomach churn in protest.

"He has to make the first move"

"But…how can he? If he doesn't know you're interested in him?" this relationships stuff was really contorted, she really didn't think it was that hard, not that she was going to do anything about her own situation, she was too oblivious to that kind of stuff and destined to remain forever alone.

"He knows, I have been sending him signals"

Tenten and Naruko looked at each other quickly, and the Namikaze rubbed the back of her neck, a bit uneasy, not wishing to get on Ino's bad side.

"Ino, we're talking about Sai. Oblivious and naïve Sai, you realize the guy can't catch a hint even if it hits him in the face" she pointed out bluntly, someone had to do it, and the blonde girl wasn't one to turn down in helping a friend in need.

"Yeah Ino, I don't think it's the right tactic" Tenten added, she was desperately hungry ad hoped her friend changed her mind, or she would go alone, to hell with Ino's madness.

"Don't worry girls, I know what I'm doing" the blonde girl smiled confidently, despite her friend's doubtful glances.

"If I might say something, I believe that if it's meant to be, it will eventually happen either way" Neji had a stern look on his face, and a drink in hand, so the things were two. He was having one of his wise moments, or the drink was making effect.

"That is positive behavior, see? Neji is always right"

The Hyuga took another sip from his cup, his other hand in his pocket, as if Ino wasn't talking about him.

"Wait, you have been eavesdropping all this time?" Naruko was scandalized, she would have never imagined the stoic Hyuga prodigy lower himself and listen to petty feminine talks, or to give advice on girl issues. She herself was bored with these things, there was something weird going on.

"Although Sai is a bit of a dork when it comes to these things, he is even worse than Sasuke, but, as I said, destiny has it's way of making things happen" Neji didn't answer Naruko's question, for it was obvious. Ino, on the other hand, realized that her friends might be right, since everyone was telling her the same thing. Damn her bad taste for men, why did she have to fall for emotional retards all the time? It must be as Neji always said, destiny. Well, it must hate her.

" Enough! I'm going over there"

"Wow Neji, you are really deep" Tenten was fascinated by the long haired teen, or maybe her hunger was driving her mad. She realized immediately what she had said, and covered her mouth with her hands in shame.

"I am just giving fate a helping hand" he answered, and the blonde girl stared at him and Tenten, assuming both her friends had finally gone bonkers. Neji couldn't really be serious with this mystical stuff. Unfortunately, Tenten wasn't on her same line of thoughts, as she admired the Hyuga.

"you're smart! And always have something interesting to say" woah, now she sounded like a fan girl.

"I'm glad you find what I say interesting" he, shockingly answered, watching the brunette with a soft look in his eyes that made her melt, and blush like a little girl.

Naruko suddenly had the dreaded feeling of being the third wheel again, and slowly backed away, trying to leave unnoticed by the clearly flirting couple, she didn't need though, cause she saw them go together towards the buffet, smiling at each other, and the blonde girl, surprised herself when she felt a little envy watching them. She shook her head, she should be happy for Tenten.

"Seems like all your friends are frolicking around tonight"

She smiled at the red head, knowing that at least he wouldn't be flirting with anyone tonight, and hooked her arm with his.

"So it seems, mind if I stay by you? At least I know you won't abandon me somewhere"

Gaara laughed softly and looked down a her, his green eyes shone in amusement.

"I think there's a higher chance you will leave me than the other way around" he chuckled, at the girl's confused expression.

"Why? My friends are busy and I'm trying to avoid my mother"

"Why are you avoiding your mother?" Gaara didn't mention why he thought she would be swapped away, he had noticed a certain figure looming around watching them. He was sure he wouldn't stay in the dark for long and soon show himself.

Gaara grinned, it wouldn't hurt to make him a bit jealous now, especially if it could help his friend.


	14. Chaoter 14

Chapter 14

Itachi had always been a very calm and stoic person, never showing much of his feelings to anyone, or expressing them out loud. He had always been proud of his cold demeanor, but right now, he found he couldn't contain his emotions as usual, and his normally cool exterior was harder to maintain, as he observed the scene in front of him.

He had wandered everywhere, roamed all over the guest accessible places, looking for the blonde girl, and when he finally found her,standing in the patio, she was with Gaara Sabaku, his father's business partner son. Not that there was something wrong with it, he knew very well that the majority of her friends were males, but, the Sabaku was a little too close for a simple friend for Itachi's taste.

He had placed an irritating hand around the blonde's waist, and was whispering something in her ear that made her giggle, and made him wish it was him in Gaara's place. It had been a long tome since he had felt the pang of jealousy within him, he wasn't really sure how to act.

He watched her, as she covered her small face with her hands, her blue eyes shining as she hit Gaara on the arm, for some reason, and her face flashed red. She was beautiful, even dressed in masculine clothes, to the Uchiha, she stood out from all the females scurrying around in fancy dresses.

He rubbed a hand on his face, trying to hold in his temptation of barging over there and sweep her away from that red headed bastard.

"Oi Itachi, what are you doing here all isolated?" Shisui patted his shoulder with a big grin on his lips, and Itachi groaned in irritation, as if his nerves weren't on strain.

"Nothing, I was just about to go looking for the others" he answered almost robotically, his eyes still on the two 'friends' a couple of meters from them. The older Uchiha followed his cousin's glare, and snickered softly, shaking his head.

"Ahh I see, jealousy doesn't suit you, cousin" because it was obvious Itachi was fuming, and he was sure he knew who was the cause of it.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Shisui" His pride couldn't let him be discovered that easily, although he wasn't doing much to hide it either.

The latter chuckled again, shaking his head at Itachi's denial, when feelings were involved, hos younger cousin was always a bit in difficulty, but, that was why he was there, he would never deny his help or his wise counsel.

"You are scaring people" he pointed out, his dark eyes on a woman close by that was watching them with a worried look. Shisui smiled and waved happily trying to reassure her, causing her to walk away as fast as she could.

Itachi snorted at that, and finally tore his eyes away from his source of annoyance, to look at his irritating cousin.

"Weren't you supposed to be here with Hana? Why aren't you bothering her?"

The brown haired man snorted, putting his hands in his pockets, his lips in a pout.

"She's over at the buffet…with my mother, I thought it wiser to leave them be. It's never a good thing to be around when two women are bonding"

Itachi's lips bolted upwards, and he forgot about the irritating red head for a couple of seconds.

"You already made it official? You two have just started dating" he pointed out, and his cousin shrugged it off.

"Can't avoid it, this place is polluted with relatives, I have managed to hid her from Madara, but my mother…the woman has the eyes of an hawk"

Itachi shook his head, pitying the poor Inuzuka, he would understand if she wouldn't want to see Shisui ever again after meeting his crazy parents.

They weren't that bad, but, just a little over enthusiastic, that had pushed their son to find a girlfriend for ages. He really couldn't understand their family obsession over marriage, but anyways, for Kagami and his wife, this was supposedly a very happy occasion.

"What are you two doing here? Mother is looking for you Itachi"

Sasuke gave the two a weird look, wondering what the two were even doing in such a secluded part of the house. Itachi at the mention of his mother felt his hackles rise. He was sure the woman had spent too much time in Shisui's mother company.

"Well, you see little cousin, we are chilling, and this seems like the perfect spot for doing just that"

The older smirked and his gaze went to the pink haired girl, that was holding Sasuke's hand, and staring at him with wide green eyes.

"Who's this pretty lady? Won't you introduce her to your favorite cousin and brother?" the brown haired man offered her his hand with a small wink, making the younger cousin blink, and Itachi face palm. Trust Shisui to embarrass the poor girl.

Sasuke groaned, and slapped Shisui's hand away. He sighed, why did his family have to be all batshit crazy? At least he could trust Itachi to keep the sanity at bay he hoped so, his brother had a dark gleam in his eyes, and that was never a good sign.

"Sakura this is Shisui, my idiotic cousin, and Itachi, my brother"

The girl smiled politely at them, bowing her head a bit. "Nice to meet you" she said kindly, and both the Uchiha's smiled gently back.

"What are you doing with someone like Sasuke? You seem to kind for this emo little brooding kid"

Shisui asked, grabbing Sasuke by the shoulders, ignoring the other's protests.

"He is not so emo and broody with me" She explained, looking a little confused.

"Don't pay any mind to him" Itachi reassured the girl, that was furrowing her brows at their cousin.

She battled her eyelashes, and her green eyes softened at the older Uchiha sibling, and she gasped as she remembered something, pulling a small package out of her purse.

"Well, I…we actually" and she pulled Sasuke closer to her linking their arms together sporting a big grin.

"Your brother is too…well, you know how he is, but we both wanted to say, congratulations Itachi, we took the liberty of getting you a little something, you know, for your graduation" she sounded nervous, but the black haired man found her very nice and thoughtful, as she handed him the package she was holding.

His eyes wandered to his brother, and was a little taken aback when he noticed on his lips the ghost of a smile. It was barely visible but it was there.

"We are all very proud of you" The younger Uchiha added, and Itachi looked at him in surprise, it had been a long time since he had heard those words from his brother.

"I…don't know what to say…Thank you" he was moved and he tightened his grip on the gift he was holding.

"Uhmm, Sasuke? I think I will go get something to eat at the buffet, meet you there all right?" Sakura said sweetly, smiling at her boyfriend, that simply nodded, leaning down for a small kiss.

Shisui would have a blast once this was over, Itachi was sure of it, as he studied Shisui's lips quirk in a mocking smile.

"Your mother is nowhere in sight is she?" she asked, looking around before leaving.

"No, I think she's with her friend, don't worry"

The girl nodded, smoothing her pale peach floor length dress, before leaving the three on their own.

"by the way dear cousin, I saw your mother introducing Hana to every single member of the family, I think Madara was next in line, hate to break it to you, but she didn't look too happy, I think I heard her saying something in the lines of 'killing the damn idiot'"

Shisui paled, and Itachi couldn't hold in an amused snicker.

"Really, you pin over her for years, and once you get her you abandon her with your mother, I would kill you too" Itachi mused, trying not to laugh at his cousin's strained expression.

"Shit, she will kill me for real"

"Hn, that is, if she is still willing to talk to you" Sasuke added, but he was having more trouble in hiding his laughter.

As soon as Shisui the brothers let out a laugh.

"Poor Shisui, he will get an earfull" Itachi said through small fits of giggles as his laugh died down.

"Nah, she was actually talking to Rin, but damn, it was funny to see, he's already so whipped"

Sasuke snickered, he's intentions of having five seconds alone with his brother had succeeded, Shisui was just too gullible, especially now that he had won the Inuzuka over, and was scared shitless of losing her. He would take advantage of it as long as he could.

Itachi shook his head "You're cruel"

"Payback was long due"

"So, I understand you introduced Sakura to our old folks"

The long haired man said, giving his brother an amused glance, now, that was something he had wanted to see.

"Yeah…it wasn't so terrible until… well, mother just had to ask her if her hair was naturally pink, can you imagine mother asking that to someone?"

Itachi blinked at that, no he couldn't imagine his always polite mother asking something like that to Sakura. She had raised them insisting that you should never make uncomfortable questions, so he was a little perplexed.

"Maybe she was a little curious? It's not a really common hair color after all"

Maybe Sasuke was right and age was catching up with them, or maybe they had already been a little crazy and they hadn't noticed, craziness was an added bonus of the Uchiha genes.

"What's worse, after that Fugaku just calmly stated that he wouldn't mind having pink haired grandchildren, Itachi, I swear, our parents are going batty"

He sighed, pinching his forehead with his fingers in despair. Well, he couldn't say anything against that.

"And she hasn't met Madara, or Obito yet." He snickered, and Sasuke shook his head,

"And I intend on keeping it that way, for now"

Itachi sighed, enjoying his conversation with his brother, at least it kept his mind away from the annoying sting he felt everytime his eyes fell on Gaara and Naruko, the red head was still too close for his liking.

Sasuke, followed his brother's gaze, and smirked at Itachi's annoyed expression.

"They're just friends" he reassured, as he too looked at the pair, that was laughing about something.

"Hn" so much for that, he didn't think he was being so obvious, he had already been caught twice.

"It's not like I care"

"You can't expect me to believe you don't care if you're standing here glaring daggers at Sabaku, plus you know, it's not like you can kill him with a stare"

His younger brother was full of surprises that evening. He didn't think he could still consider his brother a child anymore.

"If you want my advice, just go over there and talk to her"

"Why do you assume I am interested in her?"

Sasuke winced, his brother was really demse sometimes.

"Hn, I just do"

Itachi hummed, and gave another look at the pair. Gaara looked a bit more than friendly with the blonde girl, he knew him to be a shy and kind of loner type, not giving people much confidence, and barely speaking to anyone. He had never, in the occasions they had met in,seen him so physically close to somebody that wasn't family.

It made him wonder if the red headed teen harbored some feelings towards Naruko.

Maybe he would listen to his brother for once, he would just go and steal her from the other male, he wouldn't let it go any further.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko was starting to feel bored, as she and Gaara stood around in the middle of the yard, surrounded by people chatting, drinking or simply having fun. She noticed the rest of her friends near the dj. Kiba was flirting with an unknown girl, Shino was there too, but was barely interacting with anybody and Shikamaru looked pretty annnnoyed at something.

"I wonder what's his problem" she said out loud, making Gaara look at her in question.

"Who are you talking about?" he asked gently, and she pointed at the Nara that was casually next to Kankuro.

"It seems as something is bothering him" Gaara assumed, and he slipped his hand around her waist, almost smirking at dark eyes staring at him. He had noticed Itachi finally get out of his hiding spot, and walk towards his friends, obviously he hadn't missed all the deathly stares he had been sending him, while the blonde girl hadn't noticed.

"Yeah, I wonder what it could be though. Maybe I should go there and talk to him" he was her best friend, and as long as she knew nothing ever bothered the Nara, he was a pretty easy going person, so it was unusual for her to see that expression on him.

"Don't worry Naruko, he will be fine" he smiled softly at her, and she frowned, not wanting to admit that she also wanted to go over where the others were, Gaara's weird attitude was starting to make her uneasy. He was never a very sociable person, and she knew that if he would open up to someone it would be her, but, it was weird for him to hug or touch someone, even if it was her, he had never done it before.

"Maybe" she answered a little begrudgingly, and she felt his arm loosen up a bit letting her step a little further from him.

"Am I making you uneasy, Naruko?" he asked calmly, his green clear eyes looking straight into hers. She gulped, not wanting to offend him.

"Well….it is a little…how can I say it…weird?" she admitted, her arms were hanging loose along her body, and her nose wrinkled as she thought of a better expression.

"Hey look, isn't that Sasuke and Sakura?" she said, pointing at the couple that was walking hand in hand towards the buffet table, and apparently didn't notice them. Damn it.

Gaara laughed, and he shook his head at her, letting her free, just grabbing one of her free hands and kissing it softly.

"Naruko…there was something I always wanted to tell you"

She swallowed at that, feeling the solemn tone his voice had taken. Was he going to confess something to her? Was she going to have to break his heart? Because she already knew that she couldn't return his feelings, if that was the case.

She was starting to sweat, and Gaara chuckled lightly.

"When I met you, all those years ago, I had just lost my mother, I had distanced myself from my family, took bad decisions and I hung out with the wrong crowd. But, then, my father took us here, in this beautiful city, and I met you. I admit you were annoyingly hyper and I could barely tolerate you at the time" he stopped to look at her, and he understood what she was thinking, and simply chuckled again.

"You have become a very good friend for me Naruko, you have healed me, and thanks to you my relationship with my family and others is better than ever-"

"Gaara…I really don't think I deserve all of this…" she tried to say, her cheeks flaring up as she looked at her friend, wondering where he was going with this talk.

"You do, and I just wanted to tell you that I am honored to have you as my friend"

This was the longest she had ever heard him talk, he was usually quiet and calm, so, she was surprised and thankful to hear him say all these things.

"Thank you Gaara…but, what has brought this on?" she felt like she had to ask, he wouldn't say such things for nothing, not in this occasion at least.

"I…well, just remember to thank me one day" he said shrugging his shoulders, smirking at someone behind her. He tugged at her hand once before leaving her there without saying anything else, leaving Naruko a bit confused. She blinked wondering what the hell he meant with that, and why he left her there like an idiot. She sighed and was thinking of following him when something stopped her, or better someone.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" A deep voice said, coming from behind her. Naruko, stopped in her tracks, and turned her head, meeting the dark gaze of none other than Itachi Uchiha. He was smiling down at her, drink in hand, and looking sexy as hell. He had got rid of his jacket and tie and his black dress shirt was rolled up at the sleeves, giving him a casual look, his hair was still tied down, but some loose strands fell around his face. She felt her cheeks burn, and she suddenly felt hot, her intentions of following Gaara were forgotten.

She wouldn't admit it, but she had been looking for him since she stepped foot at the party, and now, here he was, tall and dreamy, talking to her. She felt all the nervousness from before come back in full force.

"I…I am, thank you for asking" she smiled up at him, her eyes closing, and she started to fiddle with the end of her braided hair.

He was still smiling, and she couldn't get over at how handsome he was, it didn't matter which expression he was making she found him attractive

"What about you? Are you enjoying yourself? It's your party after all" she asked, grinning at him, hoping she didn't look like a silly teenage girl.

"Hn, Actually, I am getting a little bored" he admitted, stepping closer to her in a way that now, one of his shoulders almost touched hers.

"How come? It's your party Itachi, you should be having fun more than anyone" she tried to distract herself from the Uchiha, she could hear his scent from there, it was spicy, but with an undertone of cinnamon, it was weird, but she liked it, it suited him.

"I guess but…these events are not my thing" he mused, he wasn't lying, he always preferred having more intimate parties, like the small restaurant dinner with his family on his graduation day, it was enough for him and it had a real taste of celebration. He rather spend his time with people he cared about, and he didn't care for more than half of the people in his house.

"I understand, I tend to despise them too, and I haven't attended that many as you I guess…My family is important too you know…but not as yours, so we tend to avoid a lot of these events and…"

"Naruko?" Itachi called her, touching her shoulder with his hand. She jumped at the contact and immediately shut her mouth looking up at the man that had a small smirk on his lips.

"You're blabbering"

"Eh…I'm sorry" she apologized, rubbing her hand behind her neck, a big grin on her lips. She was sure she looked like such an idiot, she wandered why he was losing his time with her.

"Don't worry I don't mind it, I find it rather cute"

She swallowed, had he just called her cute? It really sounded like something you said to a little sister, was she just a stupid teenage girl to him? She sighed, maybe she really didn't have a chance with him.

"Irritating maybe, I seem to always make a fool of myself" she answered, feeling embarrassed, she was secretly hoping he might be interested in her, and for the first time she wondered that, maybe if she had listened to her mother, or to Ino, and wore a dress, maybe, and just maybe she would have looked more appealing to him. No, she didn't think Itachi was that superficial, a dress wouldn't have changed his opinion, but she still couldn't stop wondering.

"You really think you're irritating? Because that's the last word I would use to define you" he wasn't looking at her now, bit at the liquid in his glass.

Hearing that, her cheeks flared up again. Was that a compliment? Because she was starting to raise her hopes up, and she couldn't allow that, what if he was just being nice? She knew Uchiha's never complimented anyone, but, Itachi was different from Sasuke so she couldn't really be sure.

"I…" and for the first time ever, Naruko Namikaze was out of words. It was a first, and the long haired man could be proud of that. He was secretly enjoying seeing her so flustered. She was just too beautiful with that blush on her cheeks.

"Am I embarrassing you? He whispered in her ear, and she swore, she felt shivers run down her back. Why was he doing this to her?

"N-no I am fine"

"Look! My two favorite students hanging out together" a man, with grey hair and a weird looking mask that covered half his face, approached them, followed by another man, with short brown and big black eyes.

"Kakashi sensei! What are you doing here?" Naruko gave him a surprised look, and Itachi sighed a little irritated that his time with the blonde girl had been cut short. Apparently Kakashi still had a terrible timing.

"A teacher can't greet his best students now?" he said his eyes looking amused at Itachi's distress. He was sure he had interrupted something.

"You already have" The Uchiha answered harshly, making Naruko blink at him in question. She then smiled at the grey haired man.

"Of course, we haven't seen each other for a while, how was Kumo?" she asked, aware that her sensei had just come back from a vacation in the land of Lightning.

"Ah… a bit too hot, but we enjoyed it, didn't we Yamato?" he wiggled his eyes brows suggestively at his partner, and Naruko and Itachi both sweat dropped, already used to his particular ways.

"Kakashi!" the other reprimanded him, a slight blush on his cheeks.

"Ah, I'm sorry, I always seem to embarrass you, my dear. Wat a minute, Is that Jiraya?" he asked his eyebrows shot up as he pointed at a white haired man that was laughing at something close to the buffet table.

Naruko and Itachi both looked in his same direction, and the blonde girl, having him as her godfather, recognized him immediately.

"Yeah, it's him" she nodded, and the man beamed at her, and grabbed Yamato's hand in a blur.

"I should go and ask him when his next book is going to be published!"

He pulled his partner behind him as he strode towards his favorite writer.

"Kakashi I swear you are getting to dependent on those books" were the last words they heard as the two left, leaving Itachi and Naruko on their own again.

"Well…that was random" she said scratching her head as she stared at the spot the two were occupying just a ccoupl of seconds ago.

"He ditched us to go and talk about a pornographic book, yeah, typical Kakashi" Itachi snorted, amd Naruko laughed at that, the atmosphere had lightened a bit, and she was glad for the brief interruption.

"Yeah, that's Kakashi sensei at it's best!" she smiled at the Uchiha and he answered with a smile of his own. He was dazzling, she couldn't deny that she was falling hard for him. Boy wasn't she in trouble.

"Hn, this party is a bit too crowded, my parents really invited anyone they could think of" he commented as he looked around, all the people in his garden chatting and having a good time.

"You don't like it?" she asked innocently, her big blue eyes were now staring up at him and he sighed.

"I would ditch if I could" and he smirked, as a thought came to his mind.

"Tell me Naruko, would you mind be my ditching partner?"

Naruko's eyes widened and she pointed at herself with a finger.

"Me?" she asked, thinking that maybe she was daydreaming, Itachi couldn't possibly want to spend time with her.

"I don't see anyone else here, so what do you say?" he was starting to think that maybe he had read the llittle signals she was sending him without realizing it, wrongly. Maybe she wasn't interested in him, and he was making a fool of himself.

"But…what about your parents? Won't they be upset if you go missing?"

"It won't be for long" he reassured her, offering her his hand.

She thought about it, her friends were too busy to notice her disappearance, and so were her parents, it wouldn't hurt for her to follow the dark Uchiha, she trusted him, and she wanted to know him better, this way she would have her chance.

"All right, I'll go with you" she put her hand in his, and he smiled at her, before leading her away from the confusion of the party.

As the two left together, two pair of eyes looked at them.

"So, do you believe me now?"

The other answered with a low groan, earning a low chuckle fron

"Dammit"

"Pay up, I told you he was interested in her"

"Shut up Shisui, you're too irritating for your own good"

Sasuke took a few bucks out of his pocket and handed them in his cousin's waiting hand.

"My foolish little cousin, you still haven't learned, I, the mighty Shisui Uchiha, am always right"

Sasuke frowned at that, and looked at the woman next to his cousin.

"Good luck with him, his ego is getting to his head"

Hana laughed, and linked her arm with Shisui's.

"Don't worry, I know exactly how to handle him" she ruffled his hair with affection, making him blush a bit.

"They are such a cute couple!" Sakura coed, looking at the newly made couple with dreamy eyes. She was a romantic at heart, she couldn't help it.

"Let's go annoying woman, I wouldn't mind having a little dance with you" he smiled as he looked down at Sakura, she was too cute, and he smirked leaning in to kiss her fully on the lips.

After all, things were going by smoothly.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Shikamaru wasn't happy. He would have preferred being home right in that moment, possibly dozing off somewhere with no care in the world, but the fates hated him, so he had to stand there, with a frowning face, as he watched while Temari that troublesome girl, flirted with one of Itachi's friends.

First, he had seen her talking to a red headed guy, but, after discovering that not only he wasn't interested in the opposite sex, widely demonstrated by a blonde long haired guy, hovering over him, but that he was related to the Sabaku, he had relaxed.

Unluckily though, Itachi had a lot of friends, and most of them were single. There was the other red head, he knew him already, Nagato was related to Naruko's mother, and had occasionally met him before, and liked the guy, he was calm and minded his own business, and mostly stayed close to another orange haired guy and his girlfriend a blue haired girl with a piercing under her mouth.

Then there was the dj, with a passion for music, a weird religion that he had tried to talk him into, and language that would put to shame even the most navigated sailor. Itachi really had a weird group of friends when you considered each one on their own, but the one that bothered him the most, was the one that had claimed the blonde's attention, he was a weird looking guy, with grayish hair and a weird complexion, small eyes and a weird obsession for anything fish related. He didn't catch his name, but he knew he wouldn't like it.

It's not like he cared, she was older than him, and probably was into weirdos, he didn't like her, absolutely not! He was just annoyed that he had too watch her flirt with every single guy she had met, and in front of him! The nerve she had!

"What's with the soar face? You look like you ate a lemon" Choji had decided to be more attentive, he didn't have his loved potato chips to munch on so having nothing to do with himself, had given a look around and noticed the Nara in a corner, looking almost like Sasuke, to be honest it had creeper him out and went over to see if he could help.

"Nothing, it's all…ah such a drag"

Shikamaru could be a genius, but he and the Akimichi had been friends since childhood. Choji knew when the other was lying.

"Is it because of that girl? What was her name..

" He massaged his chin in thought, trying to remember.

"Temari…and no, it's not that" he corrected his friend that smiled, completely aware that he was lying

"If you say so, of course. Hmm….but you will agree with me that that guy is not right for her"

"I think the heat has gotten to all of your heads, every one of you has gone on an hormone spree, I don't want to be involved, I love to be single" he put his arms behind his head as to confirm his words.

"Relationships are too troublesome"

"Hmm, maybe you're right, but, it comes a time when even you will have to grow up, we are not children any more, soon we will be in college, you can't be the same lazy ass forever"

Shikamaru's eyes widened, what was his friend saying?

"You mean I'm not mature enough?"

Choji smiled at his friend, and bent his palm as to state something obvious.

"Don't worry Shikamaru, maybe you're just a late bloomer" he snickered at the Nara outraged expression, he was having his share of fun, and getting Shikamaru to admit and accept his feelings was no easy task, but he was determined to help, after all, he was always willing to help a friend in need.

A few steps away, two brothers were watching the same scene unfold.

"So, should we do something…or" Gaara wasn't an expert, but he knew that his sister probably wouldn't have appreciated his younger brothers interrupting whatever she was doing.

It wasn't in Temari nature to flirt, she usually wasn't much interested in other guys that weren'the her brother's, so they were a bit shocked to see her getting along with the group of older boys that was hanging around the dj, except for Sasori, she didn't know any of them.

"No, I would bet all my money that she is trying to make someone jealous"

Kankuro was a little too calm, and it made Gaara suspect something fishy was going on. His brother was usually overprotective, and incredibly determined in keeping any indesirables away from their sister, they were both acting weird.

"Look, I know you might be confused, but Temari told me she is trying to get someone to notice her"

Gaara hummed in understanding, after all, wasn't it always for the same reason? He himself had helped Naruko, without her knowing, but, it had worked, even if he was almost sure that The Uchiha would have made a move anyway, he had probably accelerated it.

"It's not like her, though, she always said that using such methods is stupid"

Gaara recalled her saying that a few times.

"What can I tell you, maybe the guy she likes is dense and can't get a hint, but I doubt it, from what I understand, the guy is supposed to be a genius"

"Is he really?" he looked over at the guys in Naruko's group of friends, they weren't all there, since a few were already paired up and were hanging around with their girls.

"Pineapple head over there, that's the guy in case you're wondering"

Kankuro smirked, and Gaara looked over at the Nara with a raised eyebrow, he really didn't look that bright, he didn't understand how he could be considered a genius.

"You're sure it's him?"

"Positive"

OK then, he wouldn't judge his sister's taste in men. He really didn't want to go there.

"I saw you with Naruko earlier, how did it go?"

Gaara's eyes widened, and his green eyes focused on his brother.

"Well…"

"You didn't tell her" he said, understanding perfectly what he was thinking. There had always been this connection between them, maybe because they were brothers.

"I couldn't, I already know she doesn't feel the same, it's better this way, you know, so our friendship won't be ruined."

"I guess, I'm sorry though" Kankuro patted his shoulder with affection.

"But don't worry, you know what they say, there's plenty of fish in the sea"

The red head just smiled, feeling better already.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Oh, there, at least we found one of our children" Kushina waved at Menma, that tried to hide Hinata behind his body, already knowing his mother would embarrass her, he was thankful his father wasn't there.

"Menma dear, have you seen your sister? I have been looking for her for ages, but she seems to have disappeared"

The black haired boy blinked, and looked at the two women in front of him with slight fear in his eyes, they looked scary.

"And it seems that Itachi is hiding somewhere too. Sasuke?" Mikoto looked at his friend, and he felt sorry for him, he really did.

"No mother, Mrs Namikaze we haven't seen them in a while, maybe they're both over there, where the music is" Sasuke answered calmly, he was sweating, he knew that Itachi and Naruko had snooked out, but he couldn't tell that to the two, and he wasn't sure if Menma was OK with his sister mingling with Itachi, so he decided to not risk it.

The two woman looked at each other, and the Uchiha gulped at his mother's glare. It was scary.

Menma on the other side, was putting together the dots, and gasped pointing a finger at them with a freaked out expression when he figured out the reason of their weird behavior. They had been searching for those two for the whole night, and he understood why now.

"You! Since we arrived you have been looking for Itachi and you!" he pointed at Kushina that had an unimpressed expression while she looked at her son with her arms crossed.

"You told Naruko to stay close by cause you wanted her to meet someone! You…you two are trying to hook them up!"

Hearing that even Hinata gasped, and Sakura looked up at Sasuke that had suddenly bursted out laughing so hard he was holding his stomach. Menma raised an eyebrow at his friend, he had never seen such humor in his friend.

"So, we are, what's the big deal?" Kushina narrowed her eyes at her son.

"That's why you insisted on the dress and wanted Naruko to wear one so strongly!"

"Not just for that, she would look beautiful" she added, feeling cornered, it wasn't a crime wanting to see your daughter wear a beautiful dress.

"And that is why you were so pissed when you found out Itachi was having dinner with Izumi" Sasuke was giggling now, trying to calm his laughter. The irony of the situation, it was too much for him.

"So what? We thought they would be a good match, Naruko is so sunny and easy going, while Itachi is always so stoic and severe we figured they would compensate each other. Plus we really want to become relatives, and can you imagine? They would have such beautiful babies"

"Little blonde haired Uchiha's! it would be adorable" They were both cooing now, and even Sakura had to admit that they were right and sighed softly.

"Blonde haired Uchiha's?" Sasuke wondered looking at his mother as if she was crazy.

"yes dear, but don't worry, your children would be beautiful as well, just imagine them with your hair and Sakura's beautiful eyes!"

Sakura squeaked hearing Mikoto's words, she had fantasized so much about it herself, that she was glad somebody else shared her fantasies. It was crazy, but still, she was convinced she and Sasuke would have the cutest babies around!

Menma grimaced as he stared at a dreamy looking Sakura. She had joined the dark side, he shook his head, they were all going crazy, he just hoped Hinata wouldn't get mixed in the madness too

"You are really picturing future grand children? Really?"

"Or they could have Itachi's hair color and Naruko's eyes, they would be so pretty, just look at Menma! They would take after their uncle!" the two women simply ignored their son's questions, nothing could get in the middle of their daydreams.

"Uncle?" he repeated looking at his friend.

Sasuke simply shrugged, already resigned, there wasn't much they could do, they had reached the far end, might as well let them be.

"Mom, does dad know? He would have a fit if he found out you were trying to find a boyfriend for his little girl"

The red headed woman snorted, looking at her son.

"Your father can't handle the truth, Naruko is a beautiful seventeen years old girl, he still thinks she's four, of course he would have a fit, and he would have to suck it up"

Menma sweat dropped, his mother was too much, but, she had a point, and she had somehow aimed right, since he had seen Itachi and Naruko together, it was impossible not to notice the attraction between them, he had to give her credit.

Now he had two options, he could tell them and stop whatever this was , or he could simply fake he didn't know what he did and see how the situation evolved.

It would be fun, he was sure.

"Anyway we really haven't seen them" he confirmed, going for the second option. He just hoped it didn't backfire on him.

Mikoto puffed, and looked at Kushina with a grumpy expression that the red head shared.

"I guess it won't be tonight then"

"I'm going to the bar, I need to have a drink, all this research had made me thirsty"

The black haired woman just walked away, leaving only Kushina there, staring behind the black haired back.

"Menma dear, who are you hiding from your mother? Is it your girlfriend?"

The teen swallowed loudly, there was no escaping his mother's curiosity now.

"Well….you noticed her?"

"Menma, you are not a huge wardrobe, it's obvious I can see her, do you think your mother that stupid Menma Namikaze?"

He looked at Sasuke that didn't know what to do to help his friend, but, after all, if he had to through with it with Sakura and his parents so should he.

"Sakura…"

"I got it, let's go, I saw Ino over there"

The black haired Uchiha waved good-bye with a big grin on his face, and Sakura smiled apologetically, it wasn't her fault she was dating a traitorous bastard. Menma, careful that his mother didn't see him, showed his friend the middle finger.

Hinata meanwhile, got out of her hiding spot, feeling a bit ridiculous, it's not that the red headed woman would eat her, but she was so naturally shy, her cheels were red, and she didn't trust herself to speak, not wanting to sound like a stuttering idiot.

Kushina studied the girl for a couple of seconds, smiling at her, she liked her, she seemed like a quiet and nice girl, total opposite from her.

"Menma, you really have to tell your mommy, how did you snatch such a beauty?"

"It doesn't mean you have to embarrass me! Jeez mom" he face palmed.

"Nice to meet you mrs Namikaze" Hinata spoke quietly, and Kushina beamed at the girl.

"Oh, you have such good manners! I already like you!" she hugged the girl, with all her strength and the poor Hyuga thought she was going to suffocate in the woman's embrace.

"I am glad my son found a nice girl like you! Come on, I want to introduce you to my husband, and our friends! Jiraya and Tsunade will absolutely adore you!"

Menma paled, and he turned feeling like he was being watched, and he wasn't wrong, Neji was there, and he narrowed his eyes at him.

"Man, could it be any worse?" Menma was in his personal hell, he had just wanted to spend a quiet evening with Hinata, what did he do to deserve all this?

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"No! Not again!" Naruko couldn't believe it as she stared at the screen, the controller still in her hands, while she was kneeled on the floor of Itachi's room.

"Looks like I won again" The Uchiha said smugly, a big grin in his lips, as he was sitting next to the girl, with his legs crossed, looking nothing like the business man he was supposed to be.

Barefooted and with his hair tied up in a bun, and his shirt slightly unbuttoned, he would make any girl drool. Naruko was barefooted too, and her blue eyes too often peered at the dark beauty, and she was almost sure that he was the reason she was losing, he was too much of a distraction, she could barely concentrate.

The blonde girl puffed, she had gone with him in his room, and had been playing old videogames for the last half an hour, before going on to play Mario Kart, and losing against the grinning Uchiha.

They had spent their time in total bliss, discovering that they had a lot of things in common, their love for old videogames, the same type of movies, their hate for the cold weather, even if they both loved the snow and Christmas, and their common hate for vegetables, of course, they also had a lot of different views on stuff, like how she thought that ramen was the most delicious thing in the world, Itachi hated it. She couldn't believe the man of jer dreams hated ramen! It was the thing she loved the most! But hey, he couldn't be too perfect, so she could live with it.

"I can't believe it! I never lose at Mario freaking kart!" she muttered, leaning her chin on her palm, a pretty pout on her lips, as she watched Itachi's character dance on screen with happiness, rubbing it in her face.

"Well, you know, every contender has a weakness, you just have to find it" Itachi spoke calmly, as he lied with his back on the carpet, his arms behind his head, and his eyes closed. Naruko swallowed as she looked at him, she liked him so much, knowing him better, and spending time with him had only made her interest in him grow. She really hoped he liked her just as half as she liked him.

"And mine is?" she asked as she got a little bit closer so she could look at his face. He opened his black eyes and met her blue ones, both getting lost in sensation. He stared at her lips, they were pink and full, and they made him want to kiss them. He controlled himself because he didn't want to scare her off, and think he had lured her there with bad intentions, unaware that she was fighting off his same desire.

"You rush too much, you don't pay attention to ypur surroundings" he spoke, trying to break the tension, and feeling the need to take his mind off the girl's lips. She was just so close, it would take nothing for him to close the distance between them.

"I rush too much? I rush too much? You keep aiming at me with that blue shell of yours!" she muttered, giving him a faint slap on the arm.

She sat back, pulling her body further away from his, he was doing something to her, she couldn't stop thinking how much she would like to have his arms around her, or how would his lips feel on hers. Damn her feelings, she was scared she was falling hard for him.

"I just meant, that if you pay more attention to the other players, you would be better off, didn't mean to offend you, you actually play very good, much better than Sasuke" he assured her sitting up again, searching for her eyes, but she was shyly looking at the side, avoiding his gaze.

"Really?" she asked finally looking at him giving him the evil eye, man Namikaze woman sure were easy to flare up, he would have to remember that. He chuckled at her, and she gave him another pout.

"Really" he confirmed nodding at her.

She looked at him, and her eyes widened, and she couldn't hold in her laughter, as she pointed at him with red cheeks. He wondered what was so funny, was he missing something.

"Itachi…you should…really fix your hair!"

He blinked, and patted his hair on his head. His bun was half undone, and he had strands of hair falling all over, as for some sticking up.

He chuckled as he let them down. He looked at the blonde girl, finding her beatiful, he loved her laugh, man, he must have really lost his mind, because he found everything about the girl endearing.

"Naruko? I am really enjoying this" he admitted once his chuckles died down. He was

"So am I" she admitted, smiling softly at him.

"I'm glad…Naruko?" he called her again, and she leaned her head eager to see what he wanted to ask.

"Want to play again?" He asked her with a bright grin. She battled her eyelashes, hiding he disappointment. What was she thinking?

"Okay, I guess you really enjoy humiliating me"

Itachi smirked at that, he had been trying to find a way to ask her something, and now was the perfect occasion.

"Actually…care to make it more interesting?" he grinned as he saw confusion in her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

He smirked again and leaned a little closer, his dark eyes boring straight into hers, and she didn't know why she suddenly felt agitated.

"Well, if I win, you will go out with me on a date"

She blushed at that, and she felt lightheaded. He really was asking her that? He wanted to go out with her? Why couldn't she make a coherent thought?

"What if you lose?" she asked, feeling her throat a bit constricted because of all the emotions she was feeling.

"I will come and eat ramen with you"

She blushed, either way, it was going to be a date, her heart was beating rapidly, as she felt his gaze on her, he was waiting for an answer obviously, and she thought, and she really hoped she wasn't imagining things, because she thought she saw hope in his eyes.

She look at the controller close to her, and grabbed it before smirking at him with newfound enthusiasm. Either way, she would be going out with him, It was a win win situation.

"Ok, may the best one win"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

It was morning, she could hear the birds chirping and a ray of sun had just hit her in the face bothering her eyes, and waling her up completely. She rubbed her eyes, groaning loudly. She didn't feel like waking up, she was too comfy. At least until she felt someone else shifting next to her that made her open her eyes wide open and roam her body, she didn't know why, but she felt the need to check if her clothes were still on she was not that type of girl, and still a virgin at that.

She sighed, relieved that everything was in place, but doing so, she felt her hand touching brushing against something warm and soft.

"What the-?"

Her arm was blocked, as she realized she wasn't just next to somebody, she was actually hugging him, with her head touching his shoulder. How she had gotten herself tangled up against this other person, which she already suspected who it was, after all, it wasn't difficult to imagine.

She raised her head, blushing as her eyes met Itachi's soft features clouded by sleep, his lips were slightly parted and his long black lashes touched his skin some inky strands covered half of his face, hiding it from Naruko's sight.

He was so unguarded, and so vulnerable in his sleep, that she almost felt like an intruder, and she momentarily forgot everything, why was she still in his room, her parents that were probably freaking out and other things, were not important while she could relish in this little intimate moment with the man who she was starting to have strong feelings for.

She smiled softly, her hand brushing the stray locks away from his pale face, so they didn't bother him, and she felt a bit like a freak, creeping on him like that, maybe she should just leave and she tried getting up, when she realized one of his arms was around her waist, not giving her much freedom to move without waking him. She blushed profusely, here she was, on the floor of Itachi's room, so close to him, she could feel his heartbeat and relaxed breathing.

She tried moving again, one of her hands leaning on his chest, feeling the soft texture of his shirt and the slow movement of his chest rising and falling underneath her fingers and she tried to use some leverage to get out of his hold without waking him, failing as she felt him moving and a slow grunt of annoyance coming from his throat.

She watched with red cheeks as his dark eyes opened, still bleary from sleep, look around in slight confusion and then focus on her.

"Naruko?" he asked as he rubbed one of his eyes with his free hand. He yawned then, and realized how close they were, and where his arm was. His eyes widened, as he looked at her for some sort of explanation.

"Yeah….looks like we fell asleep…eh eh" she grinned rubbing her hand on her neck in obvious discomfort , her eyes avoiding his.

"What…what time is it?" he asked as he noticed the sun was already up, and he figured it must be early in the morning.

"I don't know…I forgot my cell phone at home" she admitted, cursing at herself, it was just like her, to forget important things, such as her personal effects.

"Hn…It must be early, I don't hear anyone from downstairs, my parents usually wake everyday at seven o clock sharp" he murmured, stifling a yawn, and stretching his free arm.

He was still confused, in how they had gotten in that situation, he didn't remember much, he remembered they had played MarioKart and he had won again, then they had stayed there talking till late, they must have fallen asleep then.

"I'm sorry… I don't understand how we ended up like this…" she whispered, lowering her gaze to their still close bodies. Neither one of them really trying to distance and they had fallen in a comfortable position.

"Don't…." he started to say, he didn't want her to apologize

"I can't say I find this situation displeasing" he admitted, as his black eyes stared at her, her hair was a bit messy, but she was a beautiful sight, particularly refreshing, especially with those red cheeks and shiny eyes. Feeling her so close stirred emotions in him that he hadn't felt in a very long time, he was sure it wasn't just simple basic attraction, he was starting to have feelings for her, and he wasn't sure if he could stand to lose the chance to have her.

She blushed even more, gaining a smirk from the dark haired man, he was so easily saying this things, making her feel giddy and her heartbeat was increasing so much, she was practically gaping like a fish.

"I…don't mind it either, Itachi" she admitted, and she put a hand on her cheeks, trying to stop them from reddening even more, and he watched her, entranced by her eyes, that were staring back at him, the blue so intense they pulled him in, and without much thought he was leaning in, moving her hand out of the way with his, as soon as he realized what he was doing trying to will himself to stop, he noticed her eyes flutter and close and took at it as a sort of permission, he knew his control snapped and he moved quicker pressing his lips to hers. A slight touch of lips at first, but as he was about to deepen it, the door shot open, revealing a not so happy looking Sasuke.

Itachi fell back with a groan, and Naruko hid her face on his chest in shame, and because she was as red as a pepper, and already knew Sasuke wouldn't let her live it down if he saw her.

"I hope you're here for a good reason little brother" Itachi warned, not feeling much sympathy for his younger sibling,

"Why? Did I interrupt something?" he asked innocently battling his eyelashes, with a hand on his chest, faking to be surprised. Itachi simply rolled his eyes at his younger brother, keeping himself from getting up and choke him.

"Are you having fun Sasuke?" his tone was dangerously deadly, and the younger Uchiha understood that his brother wasn't in the mood for kidding.

"Sorry I figured you would be in a much brighter mood" the younger Uchiha said smirking suggestively, making the blonde haired girl squeal from embarrassment, and his brother throw a slipper in his direction.

Sasuke easily dodged it, but the smirk didn't fade from his lips, irritating his brother even more.

"Talk before I murder you" Itachi finally disentangled begrudgingly from the girl, and got up, helping her stand right after him, and offering his back as hiding spot.

"Hn, all right all right, I just came to tell the dobe here that her parents know she's here and to not worry about them"

"Very considerate of you" Itachi muttered, still resentful of having his moment with the girl interrupted.

"My parents know about this?" Naruko piped up from her spot behind the older Uchiha, her father would have a heart attack and her mother, well she wasn't sure about her, knowing her mother, she would probably be happy that she was finally interested in someone, not that she had ever pushed her to find a boyfriend.

"Well, not really, when they couldn't find you or reach you on your phone, I just reassured them that you could spend the night here, and have a small sleep over with Sakura, so your father wouldn't freak out"

Naruko sighed out of relief, forgetting her embarrassment for being caught locking lips with Itachi by his brother. Now she was just a little bit red on the face, and she could face Sasuke almost without avoiding his gaze.

"And they bought it?" She was surprised her father hadn't barged in the house with the excuse of finding his little girl, or hadn't called the Uchiha's yet and urge her to go back as soon as possible.

"Tsk, why shouldn't they believe me? It's not like you never spent the night here before" he answered shrugging his shoulders with his hands in his pockets.

"So Sakura is here too?" Itachi asked his brother, his eyebrow raised in question, as his fingers combed through his hair, trying to detangle them and tie them in a ponytail.

"Yeah…she's helping mother with breakfast." He explained leaning by the doorframe.

"We had to make it believable, and her parents were out of town, so…"

"How convenient" Itachi grinned maliciously at his brother, and Sasuke's eyes widened as he caught the words true meaning.

"She slept in the guest room, where mother and father think Naruko slept as well" he was quick to specify, and grinning back at his older sibling. Itachi groaned, irritated by his brother's allusions, mostly because they made Naruko uncomfortable.

"All right, thanks for the information, see you downstairs in a minute"

Itachi shoved his brother out the door, closing it behind him quickly, and facing the blonde girl, that was looking at him with a puzzled look and a permanent blush on her cheeks.

"Sorry about that, he was starting to be a bother"

He smiled gently at her, and she just stared at him, what they were actually doing before Sasuke's intrusion, came back in full force, and hit her like a sudden explosion, her heart picking up the pace at the mere thought of being alone with him again.

"You….you kissed me" she mumbled, touching her lips that were still tingling from the experience.

"I did" he confirmed, getting a little closer to her, studying her reactions, afraid that he might have been a little too forward.

"It…it was my first kiss" she admitted, looking at her feet, feeling her cheeks burn up, she might want to check she didn't have a fever, she was blushing so much. Itachi's eyes widened, he didn't imagine that she had never kissed anyone else,and was secretly happy that he had the privilege of being the first, and he would see to be her last, if things went as he wanted them to go.

"Do you…regret it?" he asked, not really knowing what to say.

"I…n-no, but…why…why did you kiss me?" he had the power of turning her into someone similar to Hinata, her total opposite.

He was now right in front of her, seriously looking at her, as if he was pondering something.

"You want to know why…well" he paused, thinking of the best way of saying what he wanted.

"I like you…Naruko, I actually like you a lot, and not in a friendly way...I would like to date you, if it's okay with you"

There, he said it. He observed her attentively, her eyes wide, and mouth open, gaping at him, and her hands trembling slightly, he felt the need to take one of them in his, to stop them.

"I… like you too" she was still looking at her feet, her long hair free from the braid, fell around her face, like a curtain, hiding her smiling face from his view.

"You owe me a date, after all" he reminded her, with a smug smirk on his lips, and dark eyes shining with mirth. He couldn't deny that he was happy she had answered positive to his sort of confession.

"It seems like I do, a deal is a deal after all" she felt a little better now, still shy, but knowing that he felt the same as her gave her more courage.

She really liked spending time with Itachi, and the possibility that something could form between them had secretly been her dream since she had met him.

"I should probably apologize to Sasuke later, he made this possible after all."

Naruko giggled lightly, imagining Sasuke's annoyance to being kicked out. She didn't feel sorry though, he deserved it.

"I was actually wondering why my parents hadn't freaked out yet, or why no one had figured out where we were, seems like he covered everything"

Itachi nodded, as he checked his own cell phone, apparently it had run out of charge without him noticing.

"I'm sure he wasn't alone in his scheming, I think I have an idea who might have helped him"

"Really?" she questioned, with a finger on her lips as she wondered if her brother or maybe Gaara might have helped, it sounded conspiratorial but they were the only ones who knew she was with Itachi.

"Hn, It doesn't matter really" he shrugged, Sasuke had probably just wanted to avoid many complications.

" Yeah…We should head down now, and have breakfast" her stomach was churning and she worried he could hear it, and she would make a fool of herself….too late, her stomach made a loud sound, and she was sure he heard it. She sighed blushing and holding her stomach with her hands, why did nature have to remind her that she was hungry in such an intrusive way?

He chuckled softly at her pretty expression, he really wanted to kiss her again, her lips were just too much of a temptation for him now that he had tasted them, but he limited himself, not wanting to scare the girl by being too forward, he would take her on a date first, and do things right. He wanted something serious with her, and he would make sure she understood that.

"What are you laughing at? I'm hungry! Doesn't your stomach make silly sounds when you're hungry? Or you Uchiha's are too might and high for this kind of things?"she grumpily said, surprising herself by her moody attitude, she felt like so many things had happened in a few hours, that her head was spinning.

"You're too cute" he said, ignoring her rant, and nodded as to confirm what he said, as he studied her wide eyes looking at him in confusion and anger.

"Cute? That's what you say too little girls" she pouted, not liking the adjective he used for her. She was a woman dammit!

"But you are a little girl" he teased her, and she swelled her cheeks, giving him a glare worthy of an Uchiha, she must have been around Sasuke enough to pick up the right expression.

"Don't look at me like that! I didn't finish speaking, you are a little girl, a beautiful one" he had wanted to say something else, but she still wasn't his, so that would have to wait.

"I said beautiful, not cute" he premised, raising his hands innocently under her glare, she relaxed, and then smiled.

"I guess that's better" she said with a little smirk, she was getting bolder, and he liked it, sure she still had to work on those tomato red cheeks.

"Now let's go, before you die of starvation" he said leading her out of his room, taking her by the hand.

"Do you think your parents will be mad we ditched your party like that?"

"I guess we'll find out soon"

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Sakura and Sasuke were sitting together at the table finishing their breakfast. It was almost eight in the morning, Fugaku had already had breakfast and had already locked himself in his office to go through some papers for his important deal with Sabaku tomorrow, so only Mikoto was in the kitchen with the young couple, bubblier than ever, and giving her younger son a headache. She had gotten up early in the morning, full of enthusiasm, and Sasuke suspected it was because his mother was convinced her plan of getting Itachi and Naruko together could finally start, if only she knew they didn't need her, and if she had seen what he had seen, he was sure that at this time, his and Naruko's mother would already be making wedding arrangements, man those two were crazy.

"Sakura dear, is Naruko still sleeping? I know she wasn't feeling well, and I was a bit worried" Mikoto asked as she sat on the chair next to the pink haired girl, drinking a bit of coffee, looking a little preoccupied.

The younger Uchiha groaned, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Believe me mother, she is more than ok"

Sakura elbowed him in the ribs while his mother wasn't looking, earning an evil glare from him.

Right in that moment Itachi and Naruko walked into the room, talking about something, the perfect embodiment of Mikoto's dreams and she gaped like a fish when she saw them together.

They really would be a perfect couple.

"Good morning mother, are you ok? You look rather pale" Itachi asked taking a seat next to Sasuke while Naruko took one next to Sakura, opposite to the older Uchiha.

"Oh, of course I am, now more than before, excuse me, I…have to go and make a phone call"

Naruko and Itachi blinked, and Sasuke snorted as his mother left the room.

"Is something wrong?" Naruko asked, fearing that Itachi's mother was pissed at them, not knowing that it was quite the opposite. He was literally fangirling, and felt the urge to call her best friend and ally, Kushina.

"Don't worry Namikaze, the madness is spreading apparently" Sasuke muttered, picking the rest of his food with his fork.

"What is that supposed to mean?" The long haired Uchiha asked pouring himself some coffee, and passing the rice to Naruko, smiling at her. She blushed, and the younger Uchiha gawked at them, it was weird seeing his brother and the girl he had grown up with, that he almost considered a sister, make goo goo eyes at each other.

"Believe me Itachi…you don't want to know" Sasuke frowned, thinking about his mother talking about marriage and grand children, and thought it best to not tell his brother that their mother suddenly had her midlife crisis and felt the desire of having little blonde haired Uchiha's roaming around.

Itachi blinked and didn't reply simpy shrugging it off, finishing his breakfast, not asking any more questions. It was wiser that way.

"Is she mad because we suddenly disappeared?" she asked again, and Sakura shook her hand at jer friend.

"Believe me, no one would be mad if they knew, I fear it would be quite the opposite"

The blonde girl raised a brow at the Haruno, not quite understanding what she meant.

"What do you mean?" her eyes looked around for help, but Itachi was confused as much as she was and Sasuke had pursed his lips refusing to add anything more. His sanity was already hanging by a thread.

"Nothing, it's not important" Sakura smiled nonchalantly at her friend as if it was a frilly discussion, and Naruko, too hungry too care at that point simply dug in her plate happily, eating almost as much, if not more than Itachi, amusing the man, that liked the fact that she wasn't one of those girls who starved themselves.

"But later, we are going to have a girl talk" and Naruko was sure, she was going to keep her word.

"I'm sorry, my mother looked a little bit out of it" Itachi apologized for his mother's weird giddy behavior. She had asked them questions, and made some comments, that made Itachi wonder what she was trying to do, she had mentioned that he should find a girlfriend, and that Naruko would be perfect for him. He didn't know why, he suspected his mother was trying to set him up with the blonde girl, and he really wanted to laugh at that thought. He didn't need his mother's suggestions to see that she was the girl he wanted by his side.

"You don't need to, it was…interesting" Naruko smiled, and Itachi sighed, keeping his thoughts for himself.

Sasuke had excused himself, with the excuse of taking Sakura home, and he felt his mother spying on them from the window.

"You're sure you don't want me to walk you home? I could drive you if you don't feel like walking"

"It's okay, I could use a walk, and our houses aren't that far" she grinned at him, knowing that her father would probably staring out th window waiting for her to come home, he would freak out if he saw Itachi there with her.

"All right then, I guess I will see you tomorrow night"

"For our date…sure" she smiled, already planning on calling Ino for an emergency meeting as soon as she arrived home. She didn't know much about dates and she needed all the help she could get.

"I will pick you up at seven" he reminded her, and she nodded, feeling impatient already, and nervous, she was feeling a lot of emotions at once and it was confusing.

"Ok… do I get to know where we're going?"

He chuckled and motioned for her to get closer, and she battled her eyelashes wondering if he was going to kiss her again.

" It's a secret" he whispered in her ear, his hot breath tickling her ear, and making her feel shivers run down her back.

"See you tomorrow Naruko" he poked her in the forehead with two fingers and with a heartwarming smile on his lips that made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Naruko had just walked inside her house, and as she was taking off her shoes, her mother jumped out of somewhere with a big grin on her face, scaring the life away from her daughter, that screamed in fear, clutching her chest.

"What the hell mom!" Naruko glared at her crazy parent as soon as she was able to catch her breath.

"Who do you think it was? A ghost?" Kushina waved her daughter's fears away with her hand, really, it was late morning who else could be in the house, if not her and Minato? Naruko was such a scary cat sometimes.

"You shouldn't scare people like that!" The blonde girl pointed her finger at her mother, that rolled her eyes at her, snorting loudly.

"So, how did it go?" the red headed woman nudged her in the ribs a little too excitedly, and Naruko raised a brow at her mother, wondering if she was feeling all right, she was even more hyper than usual.

"How did what go?" the girl raised a brow, really what was up with everyone acting so strange? It was almost scary.

"The sleep over at the Uchiha's! duh!" Kushina answered as if it wasn't obvious what she meant. After Mikoto's phone call she had patiently waited for Naruko to get home, she had even managed to keep the secret from Minato, who was making lunch in the kitchen unaware of his wife's plotting, and she was glad as she heard him sing softly in the kitchen.

"Mom, you know this is not the first time I stay over at their house, why should this time be any different?" she asked trying to keep her cool and will away the blush that was risking to make it's appearance on her cheeks. She had to stay calm and act as if nothing had happened. She didn't want anyone of her family to know about the blooming relationship between Itachi and her, and preferred to keep it for herself. She already knew her mother would make a big deal out of it and her father would go into his despaired father phase. She still remembered when at thirteen she had casually confessed of having a crush on Kakashi- sensei, she was unaware of what a reaction that would cause. Her mother had laughed for days, Menma had been too horrified too speak about it and her father….Minato simply stared at her with teary eyes, whining about why his little girl had to grow up, and glaring daggers at poor Kakashi everytime he met him, that didn't understand why his own mentor was giving him the cold shoulder. That had lasted until Naruko declared, after a few weeks that she wasn't interested in him anymore and that boys were a nuisance. After a few months, Kakashi had introduced the family to his boyfriend, Yamato and the family had gone back to normal,

"Well, excuse your old mother for being curious"

Kushina stuck her nose up as she always did when she was offended, every other second then.

"Mom, like I said this is not the-"

"I know, not the first time" her mother cut her off, and Naruko raised her hands in an obvious gesture.

"But, this time Sasuke's good looking older brother was home, did you get to meet him?" Kushina smirked maliciously and the blonde girl let out a strangled yelp of surprise, and her cheeks this time betrayed her turning beet red under her mother's stare, her eyes widening as she realized that her mother had caught her, Kushina was a master in reading through her, and she was just being too obvious, that she slapped her hand on her forehead, cursing softly.

"Naruko? Is there something you want to tell your mommy?"

Kushina leaned closer, a big smug look on her face and her arms folded, made her rather intimidating and Naruko was well aware that at that rate, she would be telling her mother everything in detail. She was a scary woman, that was sure, and it was almost impossible to hide something from her.

"No! I am not falling for that! I have to go and meet Ino, and I might go to Shikamaru's after that, so, don't wait for me"

She ran upstairs to change her clothes, and crossed Menma on the stairs, he was all dressed up, apparently ready to go somewhere.

"Hey where are you going?" she asked her twin, both her eyebrows raised as she wondered why he had that grim look on his face.

"Apparently Neji really hates my guts, and has decided that me and Hinata should go on a double date with him and Tenten"

Naruko's expression changed into one of shock, Neji and Tenten? She must have missed out a lot yesterday evening.

"I know what you're thinking, Hyuga actually had a soft spot for Tenten for years, and yesterday evening found the courage to ask her out, and he pulled a double date out of his ass, dumb bastard" he muttered crossing his arms on his chest. Some days he really hated everyone.

"Well, it might not be so bad, Neji is a pretty calm person, plus, you can always ditch them at some point" she said smiling brightly, trying to reassure her brother, that grinned back, giving her an amused look.

"Because ditching people is just your specialty" he teased, and she blushed slapping him on his arm, making him wince in pain.

"Shut up! I was just trying to help you!" she yelled, blushing profusely at his allusions..

Menma stared at her massaging the spot she had hit, that had gotten red and was burning, with a smirk on his lips.

"What's wrong sister? Hit a sore spot?"

She groaned and just started to climb the step again, intent on just ignoring him, she knew he would just mock her until she would get angry at him.

"Shut up! I hope Neji will turn your day into hell! I might just call him to give him some idea's"

"My my…sensitive much!" he wasn't really scared by her threats, he knew she wouldn't do that, at least for Hinata and Tenten, it wouldn't be a pleasant day if he and Hyuga started fighting.

"For what it's worth I think you made a good choice, I wouldn't worry too much about it" he said before descending the stairs, she heard her mother gasp and squeal, urging her father to come and see just how cute he was all dressed up.

Naruko chuckled, imagining her twin's distress, and she could hear him groan all the way up to her room, and she smiled softly, knowing that with his words, Menma was giving his approval of Itachi, she knew she didn't really need it, but to know that her brother agreed with her choice, made her happy and more convinced that Itachi was indeed the one for her.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi was sitting with his crazy friends at the airport's restaurant with his crazy friends, feeling that he owed them some of his time, since he had snubbed them at his party, and some of them were about to leave, he had offered them lunch before their departure, and they had happily agreed.

"So, Shrimp, who was that pretty blonde that made you forget about us uh?" Kisame asked with, putting a fry in his mouth.

Deidara whipped is head up from Sasori's shoulder, hearing that, and gasped at the raven man, that was starting to think he should buy some ear plugs or he was going to go deaf before his dumb blonde friend left.

"What? What is he talking about? Sasori you knew about this didn't you? And you didn't even tell me? What kind-"

"Shut the fuck up! I have a fucking headache you son of a bitch!" Hidan had a bit of a hangover, and was constantly whining about it, wincing at every noise he heard.

"Serves you right asshole! Drink less next time!" Deidara answered him giving him the middle finger, and Itachi sighed, sometimes it was hard to believe that they all came from wealthy and important families, their manners resembled more a caveman's.

"You will never stop sticking your nose in other people's business, will you?" Sasori smirked poking his boyfriend on the cheek, wrapping his arm around his shoulder.

"Never!" he blurted out proudly, he liked gossip, so what?

"Fucking Deidara! Why do you have to be so fucking loud!" Hidan covered his ears, hissing loudly.

"Why do I have to suffer so much!" he complained, rubbing his temples hoping to relieve the pain.

" because you got hammered, don't drink so much next time." Kakuzu said amusedly, between bites of his food, making the albino snort at him.

"And who the fuck are you? My fucking doctor?"

Kakuzu narrowed his eyes looking at him, and sighed.

"Idiot, you know I'm a doctor" the other reminded him, looking annoyed. His green eyes, looking up as a sign of intolerance.

"Oh…right"

Itachi snickered shaking his head at them, his attention going back to Kisame, who was still waiting patiently for his answer.

"That was Naruko, she is Sasuke's friend" he explained, his lips tilting upwards as he thought about her, and that kiss they shared that morning.

"Naruko Namikaze? Minato's daughter?"

Nagato asked, his arms folding on the table his head propped on one of his hands as he stared directly at Itachi.

"Yeah, you know her?" he asked, interested as to how his friend knew her.

"As a matter of fact I do, she is my cousin" He stated calmly with a smile on his lips, while Itachi simply stared back, astonished.

"Her mother's last name is –"

"Uzumaki! Of course, she told me once!" how could he miss that? Nagato was an Uzumaki and so was Kushina, who went after Namikaze now, after marrying Minato.

"I didn't even see you talk to her"

"uhmmm I was there that morning, and she wasn't home, from what my aunt told me, she was sleeping at your house" Nagato raised a red brow, and Yahiko chuckled, supporting his arm on Nagato's shoulder that winced at the gesture.

"What did you do you sly dog?" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Konan smacked him on the head.

"Stop saying nonsense, I think Itachi is serious about her"

" I sure hope so, she is my cousin" Nagato muttered, and Yahiko pouted, ignoring his girlfriend's evil glare.

"Maybe next time we come and visit there will be another couple, ne Deidara?" Konan looked at the hyper blonde that smiled widely.

"Believe me, I will make sure of that" the blonde reassured her with a cheeky grin, his red headed boyfriend, already knowing that he would be faithful to his word, making his life hell.

"Anyway, enough with this….gossiping I have serious things to discuss with you, Itachi" Yahiko got serious and gave him a stern look, that the Uchiha knew it meant he was serious.

"We are planning on expanding our business, Akatsuki is going strong, and we think expanding across the five nations would be a good idea for us, as you know, we produce any sort of medical equipment, we have already discussed a partnership with Uchiha with your cousin Obito, he liked the idea and offered us a good deal, but, on one condition"

Itachi raised an eyebrow, already imagining what it was, knowing his cousin didn't like that he was going to be president one day, and felt that he had stole the position away, winning Madara over, without really trying.

"Let me guess, he wants to be the Ceo of the new company"

Yahiko grinned, tapping his fingers on the table, and playing with his glass of water, cleaning it from the condensation that had formed on it.

"Exactly, I'm not surprised that you could so easily guess. Although, I would prefer you, in that position" he admitted and Itachi looked confused for a second.

"Why do you think I would be a better option?"

He asked, as he eyed Kisame, that was listening attentively by his side.

"You are talented Itachi, your calm disposition and natural talent are what we need to lead the new business, . It would take about a year for everything to be settled, so you don't have to answer me now"

Itachi knitted his eyebrows as he thought about what he was being offered. He liked the idea, he had always wanted to prove his worth, without people simply assuming he was good because of his family name, he wanted to prove that he was good because of his own capabilities, and with Akatsuki he could do that, he wouldn't be respected just because he was an Uchiha, but because he was good at what he was doing. He found that he liked that idea.

"Of course, we have to discuss details with your father and uncle, and we are trying to get a deal with Namikaze too, Nagato met Minato this morning, we have scheduled a meeting in two weeks with both of them"

"What once you get a deal? My father will certainly approve, and so will Namikaze, you have a very good business going, and a partnership would only benefit both"

Itachi was fiddling with his fingers nervously, Yahiko's offer still clouding his mind. He felt that he would betray his family by accepting, but he was tempted to accept, in search of his own kind of glory.

The orange headed man got up, followed by his two best friends, ready to board their flight.

Yahiko nodded at the Uchiha, he had a high respect for Itachi's inteligence and really hoped he would accept his offer.

" I am pretty confident about that too, when I'm back in two weeks, I want an answer Itachi, I hope it will be a positive one too"

The Uchiha nodded, not sure how to answer to that, he didn't want to make any promises, it was a difficult choice to make.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Menma thought that he couldn't make it, half a day with Neji was too much for his patience, he had accepted just because Hinata had asked him to, so here they were, sitting in a small tea house, near one of Konoha's parks, having tea with some pastries, making small talk, the two males glaring at each other every once in a while.

Neji and Menma had never really been the best of friends, he had always had a stronger bond with Sasuke out of all their friends, maybe because they had similar characters, but the Hyuga wasn't that different from them, but because of his tragic past, had distanced himself from others, and only recently had rekindled with the group.

It was a beautiful sunny day, and Menma had already planned of visiting the little pond at the far end of the small green area, later he would take Hinata for a little stroll, just the two of them, but now, he had to face her cousin. He knew this was some sort of way for Neji to test their relationship, he was looking after his cousin, in his overbearing way.

"This place is very nice, I can't believe I never came here!" Tenten was enthusiastically admiring the little venue were they were sitting, it was just them for the moment, and it gave them a relaxed vibe.

"I imagined you would like it. It's one of my favorites, I always come here when I want some good tea." Neji said softly, smiling kindly at the girl. Menma had noticef that he was always softer around the brunette, he had a more relaxed expression, and he wondered why he had never noticed before. Hinata smiled at them, genuinely happy for her cousin.

"Don't you feel like we shouldn't be here?" Menma whispered in his girlfriend's ear, making her blush at his closeness. They had barely even kissed, he was scared she would faint on him.

"It's nice to see Neji so relaxed" she answered, gasping as he entwined his fingers with hers, pulling her a little bit closer to him, and grinned at himself noticing her skin flush against his.

"I guess, maybe he will mellow down and leave us be" he prodded his head on his free hand, sending Neji a challenging glare, that was answered by the Hyuga with a frown, but didn't last long, his attention was quickly taken away, and he focused on Tenten that said something to him, she was his date after all, and his priority, even if the damn Namikaze was unnerving him.

"So, Hyu- I mean, Neji, what are you thinking of doing after this? Will you take Tenten to visit the park? There is a little ice cream stand that makes delicious ice creams" he suggested, mostly because it was opposite to where he wanted to take Hinata.

Tenten gaped at him when he suggested the idea, probably nervous at the idea of being completely alone with Neji. He couldn't blame her, he would be worried too, but for different reasons.

Neji surprisingly hummed in approval and looked at the girl sitting next to him

"Would you like that?" he asked making sure she was ok with the idea, he was starting to like the Namikaze, but he wasn't going to tell him that, even if the bastard had good ideas, he guessed he could give him a break, Hinata was in good hands.

"I…sure! I always enjoy a good ice cream!"

She cheerfully said, making Neji smile wider, and she beamed at him, he was being so amiable, that it was hhard to believe it was him acting that way.

"Before we go though, I would need to use the restroom, Hinata, would you join me?" The brunette got up, dusting her pants, and winked at the dark haired girl, that took the cue and followed her silently.

Menma watched them leave, they were both giggling and who knows what they had to talk about, girls were such complicated creatures.

"I wonder why girls always have to go to the bathroom in pairs" Neji spoke, and he focused his blue eyes on the Hyuga, that was visibly frowning.

"It's some sort of girl code, we could never understand, and believe me it's better that way"

"You sure are informed about these things" Neji commented, his fingers were tormenting a torn piece of paper, betraying his calm appaerance.

"I live with two crazy women, my father and I learned a few things, you know, for survival"

The long haired teen stared back at him,his lavender eyes looking as if he was thinking hard about something, and Menma raised his eyebrows in question.

"I live with two women too, but I haven't learnt much" he trailed off, looking behind him, checking if the girls were returning when he didn't see them he turned back to face the Namikaze, looking at him dead serious.

"How did you make Hinata fall for you?" he asked and Menma blinked, battling his eyelashes confusingly.

"Wait… you're really asking me this? Does it mean you approve or something?" the black haired teen's eyes widened as saucers, He didn't think it would be that easy.

" Tsk, I knew she liked you long before you finally noticed her, but it's my duty to make sure you aren't just fooling around, you have a sister, you should understand, I feel like I should watch out for both my cousins, they are perfectly capable of making their own choices, but I still feel the need to protect them, because I love them" he blushed faintly at his last words, he never opened up that much with someone that wasn't Hinata or maybe Rock Lee that had been his closest friend for years, but he didn't know why, he felt he could trust the teen sitting in front of him, and as much as he didn't like to admit it, he was starting to like him. His cousin had made a good choice.

Menma nodded, understanding perfectly how he felt, he had the same protective feeling towards Naruko as soon as he had noticed Itachi's interest, going as far as warning the older man, before he pursued his twin, if Naruko suffered, he would make sure the Uchiha paid, he would make sure of that.

"I can assure you, I really care for Hinata, I would never hurt her" he declared pointing towards himself, he would keep true to those words.

Neji studied him, rubbing his chin, and hummed softly, his lips slightly tilting upwards, that only someone that knew him well would notice.

"I trust you Namikaze, don't make me regret it"

Menma gaped at the Hyuga, but didn't say anything, he couldn't, he was too shocked to speak, but he quickly closed his mouth when he heard the girl's voices approaching, and Neji looked up, smiling at both of them, getting up, ready to leave.

"Well, I guess we should go and try that ice cream then" he gave a look at Tenten that nodded with a confident smile, it was Neji that blushed, and Menma grinned, he was so much like Hinata sometimes.

"We should go too, then" Menma rested his hand on Hinata's hip, and she drew closer to him, wrapping one of her own around his back, with a blush on her cheeks.

"See you at home Neji?" she asked hher cousin, that sighed, doing his best to avoid glaring at the Namikaze for his closeness to her.

It was hard to give up old habits.

"Sure, not too late though, or uncle will have my head"

Hinata nodded, and Neji gave a look at Menma, without her noticing, not in menacing way, but the black haired teen understood what he was trying to tell him. They had finally reached a truce.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko had called Sakura and Ino to meet her at the cafè they usually hung out. The two girls had readily answered, and were now sitting in front of her, both with a milkshake in hand. She trusted in them to help her out and prepare for her date tomorrow night, she had never gone out with someone, and she really felt nervous, especially because she really liked Itachi, and didn't want to screw up.

So, she took a deep breath, and looked at the two that were looking back at her curiously.

"I need your help" she stated solemnly, looking at her hands, avoiding the curious glares directed at her. She was already nervous as it was.

Ino and Sakura looked at each other, then back at the blonde, the pink haired girl smiled softly and nooded.

"Of course, what can we do for you?" she asked kindly, it must be something important for the blonde to ask to meet them so urgently.

Naruko blushed and bit her lip, taking another deep breath, reading herself for what was to come next, and fiddled with her fingers, like she always did when she was nervous.

"Ok…so, Itachi…he…well…" she rubbed the back of her neck "We have a date tomorrow night, and I don't know what I should do, what to wear…I have never been on one…and he…I really like him… and-"

Ino raised her hand to interrupt her blabbering with a smug look on her face.

"Ok…calm down, of course we will help, plus we already know you are head over heels for the guy, so don't worry, that's what friends are for, but first…"

She and Sakura brought her hands on her cheeks with eyes wide

"Itachi asked you out, how did he do it? Was it romantic? did he kiss you?" Sakura was running out of breath, and Ino was squealing loudly like a fan girl.

Naruko blinked, she had expected the questions, and had decided to be honest with them, she had no reason to hide anything from them anyway.

"Well…we were playing MarioKart and…"

"You mean to tell me, you had that man all for yourself, and you played videogames?" Ino interrupted her wanting to slam her head on the table. She had hoped for something more….dreamy.

"What were we supposed to do Ino?" she answered hastily, wishing she had listened to her inner self that had warned her about crazy friends.

"A steamy make out session!, man I would have raped him if I was in your shoes!"

"That's because you're crazy!" Naruko answered, hiding her blushing cheeks with her hands, she could be such a prude sometimes and get embarrassed by the stupidest things. She wasn't totally innocent though, she did have some thoughts of her own on the Uchiha, but she would never tell a soul.

"Shut up Pig! I want to know what happened!" Sakura whacked her on her arm, and smiled a Naruko urging her to keep talking.

"So we were pla-"

"I want to know if he kissed you You were in that room all night, something must have happened!"

The pale blonde gasped looking at both Sakura and Naruko with wide eyes.

"You slept with him?" her voice raised, and the blonde blushed, boy did that sound worst than what it really was

"Yes Ino, we slept, don't get some weird ideas…I mean…we just kissed, nothing else, and it was one kiss well barely a kiss…" unfortunately, she wanted to add, she wouldn't have minded if the kiss had lasted a little bit more.

He kissed you?" the pink haired girl connected the dots, Sasuke did look a little shocked when he came back from Itachi's room.

"And he didn't even tell me!" she slammed her hands on the table making the glasses shake and Naruko gulped loudly. She was even scarier than Ino, she would have to remind herself to not get on those two bad side, it would be too painful.

Ino rolled her eyes at Sakura's display of fury, and focused back on Naruko, it was time to get down to business.

"Did he tell you where you're going?" she asked flicking her bangs out of her eyes.

"No, he said it was a surprise"

"Man, he really is perfect" she mused, prodding her head on her hands, sighing dreamily. Uchiha's were perfect, damn those good genetics and her lucky friends that had caught their interest. She was starting to feel a little envious.

"Pig?" Sakura waved her hand in front of the pale blonde, that slapped it away.

"Right, Naruko, today we are going to do everything in our power to prepare you for your special evening!" Ino smirked widely, and Sakura nodded happily, both had an amused gleam in their eyes that made Naruko wonder if she could trust them.

"And how are you going to do that?" the blonde was getting anxious, the two were terrifying and their happy expressions held a devilish hint, that made Naruko gulp, tightening the grip on the chair she was sitting in.

"We are taking you shopping, obviously"

"No!" She knew they were planning something evil, she had to get out of there as soon as possible, but the other two were quicker then her and encircled her, taking hold of her arms so she couldn't escape.

"Oh yes, Naruko, trust us, it's going to be fun!"

So much for asking for help!


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Naruko was nervous, very nervous, as she fixed her hair in a low bun, like Ino had instructed her, and applied make up on her face for the first time ever, risking going blind in one because of the evil mascara brush. She wore the clothes her friends had helped her chose, or better, had forced her to wear, forcing her into a skirt for the first time in ages. Her mother would be shedding tears of joy that evening, seeing her baby girl dressed properly for her first date, which she hadn't informed them, but she guessed she had to, since Itachi had insisted in picking her up at her house. Hell would break loose, her father would have a fit and her mother, she wasn't sure how she would react but, because it was Kushina, she was sure it would be embarrassing.

She fixed the snug white blouse that Ino had picked for her, it was different from the t shirts she usually wore, and it left her shoulders bare, showing her collarbone .

At the bottom she wore skin tight black pants, they hadn't pushed her into a skirt, seeing as it was traumatic enough for her to change her style completely, and had settled with a pair of flats, mostly because she couldn't walk on heels, but Ino had promised that she would train in her future, saying that if she was going to be Itachi's girlfriend she had to learn absolutely.

She took a deep breath, feeling as if someone else was staring back at her, her blue eyes wide a she studied her figure. She had to admit she liked seeing herself so polished, it made her look more mature, more suited for someone as elegant and handsome as Itachi.

Now the biggest obstacle was show herself to her family, they were gathered in the dining room ready for dinner. They would die of shock.

She mustered some courage and slowly made her way downstairs, rolling her eyes at the surprised gasps and th loud crash she heard as soon as she stepped in the room. She was expecting that, but her father dropping plates was a bit exaggerated.

"Yeah…uhmm what do you guys think?" she dared to ask seeing as both her parents and brother were all gaping at her, she hoped they would find their ability to speak again, because she didn't have all night. Maybe it was too much for them all of a sudden, maybe she should have given them some warning, and they didn't even know about Itachi yet.

"Naruko? Is that you?" Minato looked like his eyes could fall out of their sockets from how wide they were.

"Of course dad, who else would it be? if Do you have another daughter or something?" she muttered, a little annoyed at their reaction, it was like they had seen an alien or something.

He gulped and Naruko studied his red face with a hint of worry.

"B-but! You….Kushina!" he screeched, poking his wife's side in a panic.

"Shh Minato, it's ok, this was bound to happen one day" Kushina was grinning widely as she patted her husband on the back, amusement clear in her eyes, as she winked at her daughter with pride.

"Did you lose a bet or something?" Menma of course would say something like that, laughing so hard, he had to hold his hands to his stomach.

"So much for an honest opinion, do I look so bad?" she asked worriedly, concerned about her appearance for the first time in her life, she wanted to impress Itachi more than anything else.

"You look absolutely stunning" her mother gushed, and from the way her father's eyes were tearing up, she was telling the truth, making her smile triumphantly. Now that was the reaction she wanted.

"Do you really want to leave the house dressed like that?" Minato asked, he was the picture of a broken man, who had just realized how much she had grown up, and how men would surely lure after her. His baby girl was an adult now, the thought made him die on the inside a little bit.

He grabbed a coat that was hanging in the hallway and threw it over her naked shoulders.

"Here this is better" he buttoned it all the way up to her neck, covering her body like a large cloak.

"B-but Dad! It's too hot like this!" she whined, unbuttoning the damn thing, sliding it off, earning a disappointed glare from the blonde man.

"Minato you are acting ridiculous!" Kushina grabbed the coat from Naruko sending her husband an evil glare.

"When did she get all those curves? Kushina she can't go out like that! I'm her father, I don't want boys running after her!"

"Well Minato that's inevitable" Kushina sighed, crossing her arms on her chest with a bemused expression. He was such a drama queen.

"And, one day, she will be old enough to go live on her own, and get married and have children" she lunged, making him cringe and sweat, making their children flinch at his cries.

"Mom you have no mercy" The black haired boy was holding in his laughter, taking pity on his father that had blocked his ears with his hands in a childish act of trying to ignore reality.

"I'm not listening!" he shouted, making everyone sweat drop, this was turning into a tragedy.

"And, by the way, I don't see any of you saddened by the thought of me leaving, is it because I'm a boy? Because that would be sexist!" Menma accused, pointing his finger at both his parents, that blinked at him, and Naruko let out a sigh, she would have to thank her twin, he had taken their attention away from her for a minute.

Menma shook his head at the unresponding duo, and looked at his sister with a big grin that didn't promise anything good.

"So, What's the occasion?" He asked her, and she cursed mentally at him, just when she hoped she could get away not telling them anything.

She blushed, and fiddled with her fingers, looking at a picture on the opposite side of where her relatives were standing.

"That's a pretty picture! I never realized how pretty it was!-" she tried to buy some time, without success.

Menma interrupted her with a loud snort, crossing his arms on his chest, already imagining why she was avoiding answering his question.

"Cut the bullshit, where are you going? You never dress up for anything!"

Naruko swelled her cheeks looking at him, she knew it was inevitable, but she was hoping her dear brother would have a little pity on her, since he knew how their parents were.

"Yeah 'Ruko, you can tell us, don't be shy" Kushina egged him on, trying to get an answer, she was dying of curiosity, and though she had a little suspicion, wanted to hear the truth from her daughter.

"So?"

"Ihaveadate" she answered so quickly that nobody understood her words. She was ready to run, Itachi could pick her up somewhere else, they were driving her crazy!

"What? We didn't understand a word you said!" the red headed woman said, with a wicked smile, that assured pain if she didn't get the information she asked.

"I have a date" she finally confessed, and everyone quieted, except for her father's strangled moans. She swore she could hear crickets singing coming from somewhere outside the window, and an uncomfortable feeling loomed above her, and she swallowed loudly, rubbing one of her elbows silently. Was she the only one bothered by the awkward silence? Apparently not because her father had to break it.

"With…with a man?" he asked, and Kushina face palmed hardly.

"Of course with a man Minato, I mean, not that we would have a problem if she had other preferences"

Kushina was fuming on the inside, her plans were shattering in front of her eyes, who had dared to ask her daughter out before Itachi could even glance at her? She would have to call Mikoto immediately.

"I have a problem either way, she is my baby girl! Naruko why do you want to leave me?"

Naruko's mouth hanged open as she eyed Menma sitting calmly on a chair with an amused grin, enjoying her misery. She would make him pay for that, once she solved whatever this was with their parents.

"I'm just going out for a couple of hours dad!" she muttered, huffing in annoyance, hadn't they just gone over this earlier?

"And who is this…person you are going out with?"

Kushina asked, showing her fist, it didn't really reassure the blonde girl in telling her mother his name, she looked like she was ready to punch the hell out of the first person she could get her hands on. It was a good thing they had a pungiball in the basement.

"I…I don't think I want to tell you" she answered honestly, putting her hands up in the air, in an innocent manner, there was no way in hell she was going to tell her. Firstly because she wanted things to be a little more serious before she introduced him to her family, and second, their fathers worked together, for now, it was best to keep their families out of their business.

"Naruko dear, we need to know who you're going out with, we are your parents"

Kushina menacingly waved a finger as she explained, and the poor girl wavered under that menacing stare, fortunately, or unfortunately, the doorbell rang, making everyone jump, except for Menma, that aware that it could only be one person, laid back in his chair, taking out his phone from his pocket, enjoying his twin's distress a little bit too much.

"Ok…I gotta go, I will be home by ten!" she yelled, running for the door as if her life depended from her getting out of the house, and believe it or not, it kind of did.

She reached the door, and got out hearing something that sounded too much like her father sobbing as she closed it behind her rolling her eyes.

She took a deep breath, and fanned her face with a hand, she was having too many emotions for just one night.

"Is everything all right?" a smooth deep voice asked, and she smiled, raising her blue eyes, staring directly in dark ones that held a hint of emotion she couldn't name, but it made her blush by their intensity.

"It is now" she smiled and he beamed at her, but before he could say something else, the window opened and her mother's head peeked out with a huge smile on her face that couldn't get wider even if she tried to. She should have guessed that she would spy from the window.

"Naruko dear, you can come home at eleven, don't worry about being late, hi Itachi!" she waved and disappeared just like that, making Naruko wonder for a second, where her father had gone to, worried that her crazy mother had tied him up somewhere to avoid following them, knowing her mother, it was a possibility.

Itachi waved with a polite smile, and Naruko smacked her palm on her forehead.

"I…don't know what to say to that" she said truthfully, making the Uchiha laugh.

"Your mother looks nice" he commented with a grin.

"Looks can be deceiving" and it was true, especially in that occasion.

"Please tell me she's not there anymore"

"She's gone now" the raven said taking his gaze away from the window, and focusing on the blonde beauty in front of him, that was still clinging by the door, and smirked when she let out a relieved sigh.

Itachi stepped closer, his lips tilting upwards in a charming smile, and she smiled back, feeling flustered by his proximity, her mother and the rest of her family, slipping away from her mind.

"I didn't want to tell my parents it was you I was seeing, you know, I wanted to have a little more time" she sighed, as she felt his gaze on her.

"I don't mind them knowing Naruko" he said, his eyes taking in her appearance, admiring her figure that was usually hidden underneath baggy and masculine clothes. She was breathtaking, and he considered himself a very lucky man.

"I'm glad they're not spying on us anymore" he adedd, and took one of her hands in his entwining their fingers, pulling her closer to him, and away from the door, kissing her on her warm cheek, feeling her soft skin under his lips, making him yearn for more, as she leaned her free hand on his chest.

"I am too" she whispered, thanking the heavens she hadn't lost her voice, he was too charming for her own good, she would die of self combustion if he kept this up.

"I have to tell you, even if I might sound cheesy, you look beautiful tonight, you always are, but tonight…" he couldn't add anything else, hearing a sound coming from the window, he saw Menma appear from the same window, and glare at him, pointing two fingers towards his own eyes and then one at him, mouthing the words 'I am watching you' before disappearing in a flash.

"Itachi?" she called, worried when he didn't finish his sentence, and looking behind her, obviously she didn't see anything, everything was in order.

Itachi blinked at that, and grimaced, her family was as batty as his, it was a comforting thought.

"It was nothing, I thought I saw something" he explained, stroking her cheek softly, he was tempted to kiss her lips, but pushed the desire aside. It wasn't the right place for that, nor the moment.

"We should get going" he said, stepping back, leading her towards his black mercedes still holding her hand, not wishing to let it go, it felt so right enveloped by his larger one.

He peered at her, and smiled to himself at her pink cheeks, she was lovely, he simply couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

"Nice car!" she commented when he opened the door for her, helping her in and she gave it a thorough look. She wasn't very interested in cars and didn't understand much about it them, but she could tell it was an expensive model.

"It's my graduation gift from my parents, they tend to exaggerate a bit sometimes"

He explained as he started the engine, and she took this time, while he was concentrated to look at him. She hadn't taken his appearance completely in before, but she couldn't help but find him, as Ino would say, sexy as hell. He was wearing a navy blue polo shirt and a pair of black jeans, his hair was tied up in the usual ponytail, she sighed, he was perfect, and she had him all to herself.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously as she looked out the window as they left her house.

Itachi grinned, paying attention to the road, he gave her a side eyed look, with a smirk on his lips.

"You will see once we get there" he answered her mysteriously, enjoying the view of her pouting lips, he couldn't resist she was just too cute.

Meanwhile, at the Uchiha household…

Fugaku was content, he was enjoying his evening, settling on his favorite armchair, remote in hand as he relaxed after a long day at work. Mikoto was washing the dishes in the kitchen, and Sasuke was in his room playing with his play station.

He had the quiet and peaceful evening he had longed for a long time. It had been such a hectic time at Uchiha corp now that Madara was retiring, that he hadn't had much time to enjoy his time at home. He got comfortable as he found a movie that interested him, and slipped his slippers off with a groan, resting his arms on the armrests.

The phone rang, but he paid no mind to it, deciding that he would doze off in that chair, he was just so comfortable. Unluckily, his peace didn't last long.

A muffled scream, and a set of squeals came from the kitchen, and he raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the closed door, wondering what had happened to make his wife utter such disturbing sounds, he decided to pay no mind to her, but his curiosity increased, when he heard another excited squirm, and a squeak that sounded more like it came from a squirrel than a human.

"Mikoto?" he called getting up and stomping to the kitchen, opening the door, finding his wife with a crazed expression and wide smile that made him doubt her sanity for a couple of seconds.

"Did something happen?" he asked wondering what could have gotten his wife in such a state, she didn't look preoccupied, just extremely pleased by something. She eyed him, and raised her finger, telling him to wait a second.

"I will call you later, but keep me informed as soon as you know something. Yes, I will do that, comfort Minato, he sounds a little depressed, bye Kushina"

Fugaku raised another brow Kushina?

And why did she have to comfort Minato?

Now he was getting worried, but his wife's happy face didn't let him formulate a coherent question, and also because she didn't let him speak.

"Fugaku! Fugaku dear you will not believe me what Kushina just told me!" she ran to him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt excitedly jumping up and down like a hyper child.

"Jesus woman! What has gotten into you?" he asked trying to make her sit still, grabbing her by the arms, trying to make her sit down, without success.

"Itachi! You would never guess! Oh my! Can you picture it Fugaku? Little blonde Uchiha's roaming around! Oh I can't wait!" she was speaking of nonsense, he couldn't understand what she was going on about.

"Itachi? Blonde haired Uchiha's? Mikoto dear, did you have an hallucination or something?" he had to ask her that, he just had. He didn't want to doubt her, but it was a little difficult at that time.

"No Fugaku! It's the truth!"

"Sasuke! I think your mother is drunk!" more confused than ever, he called his younger son, maybe with his help they could put the woman to bed, maybe it was stress, he couldn't understand why his usually measured wife was acting like a crazy woman.

"I'm not drunk! It's about Itachi, he is dating Naruko Namikaze! Aren't they wonderful news?"

He gaped at her, she was in such a state because his older son was dating Namikaze's daughter?

He couldn't get the excitement really, sure, the girl was very pretty, and came from an exceptional family, but still…no, he simply didn't understand what all the excitement was for.

"Itachi and Minato's daughter?" when did that happen?" he sat down on one of the kitchen stools, looking at his wife, that was too excited to notice his questioning face.

"I don't know and don't care! It's what me and Kushina wanted, our dream is coming true Fugaku! Can't you see it?"

He didn't know what expression to make, he was feeling so damn confused! It didn't really matter though, Mikoto was too far gone to pay any mind to her poor husband.

"I am going to make him his favorite food for breakfast tomorrow! Maybe he will be willing to tell me more about it!" she put her apron back on and gathered the ingredients to make pancakes, not caring that she had just finished cleaning the kitchen

"What the hell is going on?" Sasuke had heard the commotion and looked at his parents, raising his eyebrow, as he spotted his father's distressed expression

"Your mother is making pancakes" Fugaku explained with a monotone voice, resigned about giving up his quiet evening, the madness had taken over his house, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do against it, he was powerless.

"Now? It's like eight in the evening" the younger Uchiha rubbed his hand on his head, asking himself when did exactly his mother had gone insane.

"Yes, but it's a special occasion" Mikoto answered smiling brightly as she mixed the flour with the milk in a bowl, not seeing the problem in what she was doing, she wanted to make on of her babies happy!

"Uh? Really?" he asked looking at his father that was pinching the bridge of his nose in despair.

"Apparently your brother taking a girl on a date is a special occasion"

"Itachi? I thought he was…where did he say he was going?" Sasuke didn't remember his brother mentioning what he was doing that evening, that was suspicious, although Itachi never did say much of his whereabouts.

"He is on a date with your friend Naruko. It looks like mama is going to get her blonde grandchildren" Mikoto exclaimed triumphantly, with a big grin on her face. This wasn't news for the younger Uchiha, he had seen them kissing, there wasn't any doubts that the two had something going on, but he asked himself how did his mother find out, he would have to ask Menma of he knew something about this.

Sasuke stared at his father, that sighed again, propping his head on one of his hands.

"Uchiha's genes tend to be dominant Mikoto, although, I wouldn't mind having little blonde or pink haired Uchiha's"

The woman sighed, putting a little too much force in what she was doing, almost breaking the bowl.

Sasuke stared at his parents, was he the only sane person left in the house? Was his father being infected too?

"Father, don't you have anything else to say about this?" Sasuke eyed at his mother, that was grinning at her husband's words.

"Well, I should probably make Minato sign a contract" he added, causing his son to almost choke on his own saliva.

"What dies that have to do with anything?" he asked, looking at his mother that nodded at her husband.

"We were thinking about merging our companies, this could be the perfect occasion"

Sasuke raised in arms in question, not understanding what his father meant.

"That is such a good idea dear! I should call Kushina, we have a couple of perfect locations in mind, we should go and check them out and chose the best one"

Fugaku nodded, already persuaded by the thought of a merger, he was already on board with the two crazy women.

"Of course, Uchiha need the best." He confirmed.

"What are you guys going on about?" Sasuke asked, still not comprehending what they were so excited about.

"Itachi's and Naruko's wedding dear, you should follow more attentively when we talk"

The black haired teen's mouth opened in shock.

"But... they are not even together officially yet, plus Naruko is still underage!"

Mikoto scoffed at her son.

"They will be married after Naruko graduates college, me and Kushina already agreed to that! It's only a matter of time dear, now go, I have an important phone call to make"

Sasuke watched as his parents left the room, his father to write down a draft of the contract to present to Minato and his mother to make her phone call, making him wonder if there was a chance he might be adopted.

He would go to his room now, and call Sakura. He felt the need to speak with a normal person.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Itachi smiled as he looked at the bright blue orbs full of emotion that were staring in amazement at the view of Konoha below them under the setting sun. He had drove them at the top of one of the mountains that encircled the city, to a spot he had discovered in his teenage years, where the beauty of their hometwon could be admired entirely. If there was one thing they had in common, was their deep love for their roots, they both loved every angle and hidden corner of their birthplace, so he was sure she would appreciate his idea, and doing so, he was sharing with her one of his favorite places, revealing to her a little part of himself, for this place had been his little comfort zone, the only place where he could come to when he was angry, sad or simply wanted some loneliness. He had never told a soul about his little hideout, she was the first, and it made him wonder, just how much the girl had captivated him.

"This is the most beautiful place I have ever been to! I can't believe I've never been here!" she said enthusiastically, pointing at something that had caught her attention, drawing a chuckle from the raven haired man that was enjoying her happiness, it was what he was aiming at. He just wanted to see her smile, she had the brightest smile, and he loved how her eyes shined when she did. Her bright personality was one of the things he appreciated the most about her.

"And look! That is my place! And yours! I can see both our houses from here!" she smiled wider and he drew closer, leaning his chin on her shoulder, circling her waist with one of his hands, as her back rested against his chest, making her gasp loudly at his bold action.

"It's beautiful, but it's nothing compared to you" he whispered softly in her ear, making her blush strongly with his words.

He smirked as he heard her breath hitch, and she freed herself from his grip, facing him fully. He raised a brow at her, a little displeased by her action, but didn't say anything, giving her a neutral expression.

"That sounds so cheesy" she said crossing her arms on her chest looking away from him. He blinked, and burst into a laugh when he realized why she had reacted that way, he had said the same thing earlier, and he let out a puff of air from his mouth.

"It does sound cheesy, but it is the truth. Simple as it is, Naruko" he explained, peering at her, and smiling when she looked back at him with slight surprise on her delicate features.

"Do you doubt my words?" he asked as he stepped closer to her again, without touching her.

"No…but.." she bit her lip with her teeth as she formulated what she wanted to say.

"I don't really find myself beautiful, it actually surprises me that you're interested in me at all"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise hearing that. She was insecure and it was up to him to show her just how much he cared for her.

He smiled, his dark eyes boring directly in hers, as he got a hold of one of her hands enveloping it with his.

"This particular place, I used to come here when I was younger, I considered it my little hideaway, a place where no one could ever find me when I wanted to escape the world. I was always burdened with a lot of responsibilities as the family's heir, and sometimes I felt like a need to escape from everything. Sasuke, my best friend Shisui, no one knows about this place. You are the first I share it with"

His eyes were intense with an hidden emotion as they were still chained to hers, either one of them pulling away.

Her eyes widened as she realized what he meant, showing her something that was so dear to him, it made her feel warm, and her heart beat increased "T-the first? But…but why me?" she stuttered, trying to calm herself down. She understood that he wasn't just fooling around with her, so this time she took the initiative brushing his arm with her fingers, reaching his hand, entwining them with his, she blushed lightly at the contact, and she felt his dark eyes on her, they were fixed on her with such an intensity it almost burnt her.

"You're more than just a beautiful girl Naruko…" he trailed off,

"You're special to me" he confessed smiling tenderly at her, his free hand raising to stroke her burning cheek, her eyes shying away from his heated gaze.

He couldn't help it, his feelings were rushing through his veins, making him bolder, he was aware that it wasn't love yet, he couldn't name it, but he knew that with the right time and care it was likely to become it. He had never felt so strongly for someone in such a short period of time, and he had known from the beginning that she wasn't going to be like any other woman he had been with, including Izumi. He had been barely fifteen when he had met his ex girlfriend, unexperienced and unaware had thought that she was the only girl he could ever love. His despair when she had left him, had been more because for the first time he had been wrong on something. Naruko though, what he felt for her was so so different, she was different.

Naruko differently from him, had never felt like she did in that moment. She knew her feelings had grown stronger for the man in front of her. It hadn't taken long, she had known from that night they had spent together, she enjoyed his company, loved talking to him about anything, and felt that she could trust him. Love was a big word, but it was really close to what she felt.

"You are special to me too…" she admitted softly, feeling a little giddy at how fast everything was going, it was like a dream, she felt like pinching her arm just to check she wasn't dreaming.

"I am glad" he whispered, his hand tilting her chin up, so she would finally look at him, her big blue eyes boring right through him and his dark orbs fell right onto her pink lips, slightly opened and inviting, his control finally snapped, and he leaned in slowly, making sure she was ok with what he was doing. Her eyes widened for a second before fluttering close, as she tilted her head to the side, and gasping softly when his lips covered hers in what started like a sweet kiss, his arms circling her waist pulling her more to him, her own hands fisting on his chest, and she moaned softly when she felt his tongue demand access, and she consented it opening up slightly, his tongue caressing hers softly, making her knees quiver and she leaned a bit into him for support, feeling like she was running out of breath. This now, this was a real kiss, one that made her blood rush and her head weak.

They separated, and both gasped for air as Itachi rested his forehead on hers, staring into her hazy eyes with the hint of a smirk on his lips.

"I had been dying to do that since the other morning" he admitted, stroking her cheek, as his hand rested on the small of her back.

She blushed, finding herself uncapable to utter a single coherent word. She felt like she was in herr own fantasy world.

Unluckily her stomach interrupted their romantic moment with a low grumble, she winced, cursing her body's bad timing, wondering why it always happened when she was with Itachi, and at the most inappropriate moment.

"I'm sorry…again" she snickered trying to hide her embarrassment for being caught with an empty grumbling stomach again.

"I guess you're hungry" he assumed, chuckling lowly, and she pouted, making him smirk wider, her cheeks already red like a tomato.

"I didn't eat anything today, I was just so nervous, you know" she admitted with a frown, it was true, the butterflies in her stomach wouldn't leave her alone, she had barely slept too, but she was lucky she was over energetic in any situation.

"Plus, make up really takes long to apply, of course, I had to do it all over two or three times, I really didn't have much time and-"

He rested a finger on her lips with a small smile already used to her nervous rambling, even if he had grown to like this trait of hers, he wanted her to feel at ease with him.

"Good thing I like to plan ahead then, I brought dinner with me, I figured it would be nice to eat under this beautiful sky"

She relaxed under his gaze, and smiled back at him.

"Yes, It is a wonderful idea" she nodded, and let him pull her where he had already displayed a black and red blanket all set up like a dinner table.

"I brought some things I thought you would like"

She crouched in front of him, leaning towards the basket, her mouth watering when she heard the delicious smell, secretly hoping he had brought some ramen, not that she would complain if he hadn't, but she might get on her knees and beg him to marry her if he had, because let's admit it, she already knew she would never fond something more perfect than the raven, but add ramen in the mix and she wouldn't have any objections to a marriage proposals. Maybe she was addicted to the damn thing.

"I had thought of bringing some ramen, but I honestly didn't have time to stop and pick up some at Ichiraku" he grimaced a bit, as he took out the food from a pic nic basket he had stole from his mother. Her eyes widened, he had actually considered it, and from her favorite place too!

"Ichiraku? I thought you didn't know that place" she said as she grabbed a onigiri from the bento he had packed for them.

"I never actually ate there, but I asked Sasuke where they make the best ramen, and he suggested Ichiraku" he explained as he too took a bite, eyeing the gasping girl, that sent a look of shock.

" you've never been there? We have to fix that, next time we'll go there" she declared without thinking, and he smirked at that, raising a perfect brow at her.

"So you're willing of going out with me again" he assumed, and she tilted her head to the side with an incredulous look. Her blue eyes rolling at his amused expression, he was teasing her.

" You still have doubts about that?" she blushed looking away from him, her brows furrowing at his chuckles.

"Not really" he teased, and she whacked him on his arm with a big grin.

"I have a mission to accomplish, and that is get you to like and respect ramen, and I never back down on my word!" she pointed towards herself with her thumb, and he smiled at her, reaching out to fix a blonde strand that had fallen loose behind her ear, his fingers ghosting on her cheeks for a few seconds.

"I like the way you're passionate about what you believe in, it's the quality I mostly admire in you, even when it's about you getting me to love ramen" his hand rested on her hand, and she shyly tightened her grip on it with hers.

"Ramen is serious business, I just can't accept that you won't even give it a try" she wasn't very good at taking compliments, especially from him, she got embarrassed if he looked at her for too long, but she couldn't avoid feeling warm everytime he said something like that, her heart speeding, and her blood rushing causing her to blush, it was getting annoying, she would have to stop being so shy about everything.

"If it's so important for you I guess I have no other choice"

She nodded happily, full of enthusiasm, she was really enjoying the time they were spending together, wishing that it could last longer.

"Believe me, you won't regret it, I even got the teme to taste it, of course he doesn't like it as much as I do, he only likes tomatoes, but still"

Itachi laughed at that, he knew how difficult his brother was, he honestly could picture his brother's frowning face in front of a bowl of slimy noodles.

He was happy of the progress his younger sibling had done while he was away. Before he had left for college, his brother was kind of a loner with no real friends and always in his shadow, the thought of surpassing him was almost becoming an obsession. It was one of the reasons he had decided to move away, with him out of the picture, he had hoped Sasuke would grow and realize that there were other things in life, and maybe make some good friends. He was happy he had succeeded, it had cost him Izumi, but he couldn't get himself to regret it.

"You and Sasuke, how long have you been friends for?" he wondered how they had never met before. He was sure she had something to do with his brother's growth.

"Hm? Let me think… we met in first grade"

"That's a long time" he commented, changing position, prodding his elbows on the ground looking up at the sky, the first stars were starting to show, the sky almost completely dark. The only light was the big white moon that shined above them.

"Yeah, but we didn't really get along, he was more friends with Menma, we got closer in the last three years actually, you know, since our parents got closer so did we, I consider him one of my best friends now"

" I'm happy that Sasuke has you as a friend" he added, and she smiled softly.

"And I am happy to have him. I am also glad he was able to find someone like Sakura! I think she's the only one that has the patience to deal with his difficult character" she grinned when she thought about it, she had always believed he would die alone, he was such a teme after all.

He hummed softly in agreement.

"I have to agree to that" he chuckled, "But after all, some people are just good for each other, no matter what is between them"

She nodded, remembering something her mother always said to her when she was younger.

"You sound like my mother" she giggled and his eyes stared at her amusedly, his position shifting again, this time scooting closer to her in such a way that their elbows touched as they were sitting down.

"Really now?" he asked with a wide grin and a raised eyebrow. A perfect Uchiha expression.

" She believes in things such as soul mates and the red thread of destiny, she always used to tell me that she and my father were destined to meet, and the way they did it kind of makes it sound like that, she says it was thanks to her red hair, she had always despised them, and one day when she had finally decided she had enough of people teasing her about it and decided to die them, my father walks in the hairdresser's shop she was in, and hearing her to talk about how she hated them, he walked to her and convinced her to keep them that way, and asked her out on a date, they haven't left each other since. She said it was destiny, because the shop she had chose to go to was my grandmother's, and my father was supposed to come back from a tournament the day after but walked in at the right moment" she didn't really know why she was telling him all of this, but she had always admired her parent's relationship, and secretly hoped to find something similar whenever she thought about it, rarely, since she had never been interested in relationships before Itachi came along.

"Of course, she also believes in other crazy stuff, you know, like zodiac and those kind of things. When is your birthday?"

He raised both his eyebrows at the random question but complied anyway.

"June ninth? Why?" he answered and he noticed her eyes widen in surprise

"Wait! Your birthday was just two weeks ago?" she asked looking at him with her big blue eyes, he nodded, wondering why she looked so worried.

"Yes, so?"

"I didn't give you a gift! You should have told me!" she actually looked offended and he couldn't hold in a laugh, making her look away in disdain.

"Why are you laughing?" the pout on her lips was too adorable, and he raised his hand, pinching her cheek, making her pout more.

"You don't have to worry about making me a gift, knowing you was already a blessing for me"

She blushed again and turned her head away from him, crossing her arms on her chest and a frown on her face

"You have to stop saying this things, I am risking a heart attack here!" she grumbled, and he laughed again, moving closer, leaning his chin on her shoulder.

"I can't help it, I just love that blush of yours, I find it fascinating" he whispered in her ear, making her shiver against him, hearing that sinful voice so close.

"Stop it! You're doing it again! I was wrong you are just as much of a bastard as Sasuke!" she blushed hiding her face in her hands, making him laugh again his body shaking against hers, causing her to shiver again.

"You flatter me"

"You deserve it" she stuck her tongue out at him, and he shifted again, sitting behind her, one of his legs on each side of her body, and he pulled her against him, her back falling back on his chest, his arms wrapping around her body protectively.

"Forgive me?" he whispered in her ear again, and she couldn't think anymore, forgetting why she was mad at him in the firsr place as she felt his warm breath on her neck.

"I think…I can consider it but it will take more to convince me " she rested her finger on her lips, looking at the sky with a thoughtful expression, gasping softly at the feeling of his cool fingers tracong her collarbone, climbing upwards to her cheek stroking it tenderly, forcing her to turn her face on the side, meeting his, he smirked, his dark eyes staring straight into hers, and she gulped down a bit of saliva at the sparks of electricity she felt between them. He leaned in, and she moved forward, almost impatiently, feeling her lips tingle at the thought of what was to happen. Their lios almost touching.

"Maybe this will help convincing you" he said on her lips, before claiming her mouth in a searing kiss.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"This has been…perfect" she gushed, as she fisted the sleeves of the shirt Itachi had given her when she had started feeling a little chilly, it was obviously too big on her, but she felt comfy in it, loving that some of his scent was still lingering on it.

"Yes, I think so too" he smiled and she beamed at him, fixing another strand of her hair that had fallen from its position.

They were in front of her house, and it was almost time for her to go. It was almost eleven o'clock, and he didn't want to get on her parent's bad side already, so he made sure to have her at home at the right time.

"I should probably go, I don't want my parents to freak out too much."

They were already shocked enough, she didn't want to push it.

She was leaning on his car, with him next to her, as she rested her head on his shoulder, perfectly comfortable, their hands entwined together.

"Yes, I have to work tomorrow too" he sighed, not really enthused at the thought, Yahiko's proposal was still pending on his mind, and he didn't really know which road to take yet.

"Goodnight Itachi" she whispered getting closer to him and leaving a kiss on the Uchiha's cheek.

"Goodnight" he answered her with a smile, leaving a quick peck on her lips, not wanting to leave without feeling them against his one last time.

"I will call you tomorrow" he told her, before watching her walk in her house.

He sighed happily, getting into his car, and driving home.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko walked in, closing the door behind her, and she sighed as she leaned on it, gushing happily, as she squealed, hiding her face in her hands, glad that no one was there to see her act so childish, but she couldn't get herself to care, she had just had the best night of her life.

"Naruko? Is that you?" her mother's voice came from the kitchen, and the girl gasped, not really feeling like facing her.

"Yes mom, it's me"

Kushina walked out with a big smile on her face, eyeing the clock.

"So, how did it go?" she asked, she was dying to know, she had been waiting all night, eager to know how the date had went

Naruko couldn't hide a little smile, as her cheeks reddened, making Kushina grin wider seeing her daughter react that way. It was definitely a good sign.

"Mom…." She started to say, but noticed her mother staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I am your mother, you can to confide in me!"

Naruko sighed, probably she was going to regret it, but her mother was right, she always went to her mother, and apart from this, she had never hidden anything from her.

She grabbed the collar of Itachi's shirt, hiding her face underneath it before finally admitting to her mother the thought that had bugged her all night.

"I think I'm starting to fall in love with him."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Itachi woke up with a frown on his face as he heard a loud banging noise coming from the kitchen. He looked at his alarm clock near his nightstand, and let out a loud groan when he read the time. It was nearly six o' clock, too early too get up, especially because he had gone too bed at midnight.

He couldn't get back to sleep so he dragged himself towards the source of the noise, that came from the kitchen, where he found no other than his mother making breakfast with a big smile on her face. It was a strange view, and he felt the need to rub his eyes or go and grab his glasses, maybe his eyesight was playing some joke on him.

"Hi dear, come I made you pancakes!" she called as soon as she noticed him standing there in his night attire, which consisted only in a pair of black shorts.

"Mother, do you realize what time it is?" he muttered in a low voice still a little husky from sleep.

"Of course! But I couldn't sleep so I came down here and started breakfast" she explained, hiding the little detail that she had started cooking from last night, but he didn't have to know that.

"Really mother you need to find yourself another hobby, one that isn't as noisy" He grumpily added, sitting on one of the kitchen stools, as she put a plate in front of him, leaning her hands on the counter staring at her son with a challenging glare, one in perfect Uchiha style, and he looked back with a raised eyebrow, almost unaffected, she was his mother after all, he knew what happened when she got that look.

"So, how did your evening go?" she asked, her black eyes staring directly in identical ones, that blinked for a second, as he understood his mother's sudden need of cooking one of his favorite foreign food. She was trying to bribe him into telling her about his date, that he hadn't told her about, so, he deducted, she must have found out from another source, that had surely given her some vital information, and he was almost sure of who it was.

"I'm not telling you, but thanks for these" he answered with a smirk, relishing in his mother's annoyance, ignoring her reprimands about bringing food in the bedroom.

He climbed upstairs, taking two steps at the time, and knocked at the door of the bedroom next to his, grinning at the curses coming from the other side.

"What?" Sasuke croaked as he opened the door, and Itachi couldn't hold in his laughter at the condition he was in. His hair was ruffled, dressed in an outfit almost identical to his and one eye closed, while the other was barely opened.

"Well, good morning to you too" he stepped in, as his brother went back to his bed, laying on top of the sheets.

"It's frigging six o clock Itachi! What the hell could you possibly want?" he moaned rubbing his face, wishing his brother would just disappear and let him go back to bed.

"Nothing, I wanted to show you mother made pancakes" he pointed at the plate in his hands to prove his point. The teen opened one eye to glare at his brother.

"You woke me up just for that? What's wrong with you?" He was awake because of his mother banging pans in the kitchen, but he wasn't going to tell his brother that.

"Not just for this foolish little brother. Mother never bothers making pancakes unless is for a reason"

"Get to the point Itachi" he groaned, thinking this was some sort of torture, or Itachi was making him pay for something he did, even if he didn't know what, but still, his brother was evil.

"Mother knows something, but, she is trying to fool me, getting me to confess it to her" Itachi said, ignoring him.

Sasuke yawned "Yeah, so?"

"She asked me about my evening, tell me Sasuke, you were home, do you know something?"

The younger sibling was no fool, and decided that lying to Itachi wouldn't help him at all, it might actually get him in more trouble. He snapped up, completely awake, and feeling a lot more talkative than before.

"You didn't tell me where you were going, so obviously she didn't know from me" he specified, he didn't want to get caught in Itachi's wrath.

"Of course. But you were home, did you hear anything?"

The teen's eyes widened, and he sighed, pulling his arm in front of his face.

Itachi smirked, he knew asking Sasuke would be a good idea.

"I got downstairs, and she was making pancakes, She must have been making them all night or something, and she was saying crazy stuff about you and Naruko!"

"Like what?" he pressed, enjoying Sasuke's distress.

"That you two were on a date, and then she told father that she and Kushina had wanted this all along, and something about planning a wedding, I don't know how serious they were, but this is all" Sasuke resumed without going into deeper details.

He was too tired, but couldn't say he felt some kind of satisfaction in his brother's shocked expression.

"Really now…" Itachi mused in a flat serious voice, that made it clear he hadn't liked what he had heard. Sasuke raised both his eyebrows in wonder., and looked as his brother started walking out the door.

"Itachi…were you really on a date with Naruko yesterday?" he didn't know why, but he wanted to hear it from him. He wanted that if Itachi felt like opening up to somebody, it should be him.

Itachi stopped and turned to face his brother, that was now sitting on the bed.

He thought about something, and sighed as he leaned on the closed door.

"I was, and I know I probably should have told you something. She is your friend after all"

The black haired teen didn't say anything or show the shock that went through upon hearing the apology.

"I knew there was something between you anyway, I saw you the other morning"

"You are free to do what you want, if Naruko wants to go out with you, I won't be the one in your way, but" and he lowered his head studying his words, and then raising it back up again to look Itachi directly in his face, their eyes meeting.

"I don't want you to play around with her, she is very sensitive and open, she gives her trust to anyone and is such a dobe for doing so" he rolled his eyes thinking about when she had befriended Gaara, he had disapproved, but she had stubbornly approached the red head, and now she considered him one of his best friends, and he suspected something more on his part.

"But, above it all, she is my friend, I don't want her to get hurt"

Itachi listened intently, and smiled softly at his brother, appreciating that for once, he had shown to care for somebody else. He was proud of him, and he was happy it was Naruko that inspired those feelings. She really was special.

" I will take good care of her" he reassured him, his expression softening, and his eyes held such an intense emotion, that Sasuke had no doubts that he truly meant it. Itachi could be a mystery for a lot of people, his emotions always in check and his expression never showing anything but a stoic façade, but to the ones who knew him well enough knew where to look, Sasuke being one of the few.

He had never seen those dark eyes shine so much, the emotion he read in them told Sasuke all that he needed to know.

"Hn" He smiled without his brother seeing him, at least he thought he didn't. Itachi rarely missed anything, and from that, he understood that his brother had read right through him, making him feel exposed.

"Well, got to get to work now" Itachi gruffily said, walking out of the room.

"I Caught you" Sasuke grinned, watching as his brother left, his eyes closing as he tried to get back to sleep.

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko smiled as she waved at Yamato that was sweeping in front of the dojo and smiled back at her.

"Good morning Naruko, what you're doing here so early?" he asked as she approached him, stopping his motions, leaning into the broom.

"I need to train! I have decided to try and compete in the next upcoming tournament"

Yamato blinked, remembering how reluctant she had been before about participating at the even, despite Kakashi trying to convince her in the past years, convinced that she was determined enough and had the skill.

"Really? What caused the change of heart? I thought you weren't interested in competing" the brown haired man rubbed his chin, his big black eyes looking at the girl with suspicion, making her gulp loudly, she always found him scary when he got like that.

"Tenzo? Who are you talking to?" Kakashi stepped outside, shirtless with his hair wet with a towel around his neck, the mask still in place, and his dark eyes watching them with curiosity.

"Hey Kaka- sensei! How you're doing?" Naruko was glad he had interrupted whatever his scary boyfriend had in mind.

"Ah Naruko! You are rather early" he said, scratching his head with one hand putting the other in his pocket.

"I came here as soon as possible! I feel full of energy" she smiled happily jogging in place, showing just how hyper she was, drawing smiles from both men. Kakashi put his hands on his pockets and smirked behind his mask, though no one could see him.

"I have to eat breakfast yet, but you can go and warm up in the meantime."

Her expression dropped as he said that, his eyes looking apologetic as Yamato sighed shaking his head resigned to his partner's bad habits.

"Kaka- sensei you're always late for some reason!" she exclaimed grumpily as she glared at him, her blue eyes trying to burn him, a little disappointed when he chuckled, totally unfazed by her attempt of imitating the infamous Uchiha glare.

She would need some training, and knew exactly who could help her.

"What can I say, Tenzo just looked so irresistible this morning…We got a little bit delayed aaaand-"

Naruko raised a brow as she listened, her cheeks reddening as she figured out what he meant, almost choking on her saliva from the embarrassment.

"You big perv! I didn't need to know that!" she shouted, slapping her hands on her ears.

"Kakashi! Just go inside and have breakfast!" Yamato reprimanded him, pushing his shameless boyfriend inside, before he could say some other indecent things.

Kakashi was proud of his pupil, she was getting better, and he was sure she could reach her father's levels, and maybe even best him, something that no one had achieved yet.

"That was pretty good, I am sure you will be getting your black belt pretty soon"

Naruko smiled as she wioed the swaet off her forehead.

"Really? You think so?"

"Yup, a hundred percent sure" Kakashi nodded, and Yamato, that had stayed to watch, confirmed it with his smile.

"You know Naruko, you should introduce us to whoever got you so hyped up and enthusiastic"

Yamato grinned, she was always full of energy but he could see that she was happier, her smile brighter and her mood and enthusiasm was over the top. He was sure it depended on something, or better, someone.

"Wh-what?" she blushed, and looked at her feet to avoid their curious gazes.

"We already know him Tenzo"

"We do?" the brown haired man raised both his eyebrows, and Naruko felt like running away, trust Kakashi to be the one to embarrass her.

"Of course, I thought him everything he knows about martial arts" he basked a bit into his lover trying to figure out who it was, and then shrugged his shoulders looking back to the embarassed blonde.

"you should send our regards to your dear Itachi, and tell him to come over sometime, he could assist to your training, he is even better than me"

"Itachi? Really? This is news to me, our little 'Ruko really grew up didn't she?"

"Yeah, she sure did"

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi was going through some papers in his office, ignoring that it was lunch time, not really feeling like going to eat and thankful Shisui wouldn't bother him since he was having lunch with Hana that day, he didn't feel like seeing people, he was in a rather bad mood, and his father had trusted him to go over a new project, ignoring that it wasn't in his duties, but had insisted that he had to be the one to do it.

He read the project for this new medical machinery that had been submitted by Orochimaru, known as an innovative genius in the surgery field. He needed the financial support and their construction team to build it, and their research team to test it, but, what made Itachi frown, was the money asked to sell them the project, it was too much, and he wasn't sure it was really worth the prices. Orochimaru might be a genius, but he had heard from Kakuzu, that had worked with him, that most of his experiments and new machine had all failed the tests, and he was suspected of performing human experimentation, although no one was able to prove it.

Itachi didn't think that it would be a good idea to finance that type of person.

"Do you have a minute?" his father peeked from the door, standing stiffly behind it, shaking him from his thoughts.

"Yes, I guess I do" he answered putting the papers in his hands down, taking off his reading glasses to clean them, as his father occupied the chair in front of his desk.

"What brings you here?" he asked as his father shifted his legs to make himself more comfortable.

"I wanted to talk to you about something" Fugaku showed him some papers he had brought with him and put them in top of his desk. Itachi eyed them, but left them there for the time being.

"Other proposals you want me to check? Isn't it Obito's job? What is he doing?" He asked, a little annoyed of having to cover his lazy cousin's job. He already had a lot of other things to do, he couldn't waste much time.

Fugaku furrowed his brow sighing at the mention of his cousin's name.

"He…resigned this morning, he said he received a proposal from Akatsuki, a recent business that is doing very well. He said he has been offered a good position and he took it, from what I now, he and Rin should be leaving for Ame tomorrow"

Itachi's eyes widened upon hearing the news. He knew Obito had been interested in the position, but Yahiko had offered the position to him. He had never really intended to leave Uchiha for Akatsuki, and why was he moving to Ame? Yahiko had said something about opening an office in Konoha.

"There have been news about Akatsuki, theu say they deal with illegal businesses and have financed people with bad reputation such as Orochimaru, for their research. It's something I wouldn't want to get myself involved in"

"They wanted to get a deal with us and Namikaze"

"I know, but Minato intends to refuse, he took time to study their business strategies, but from what I heard, Tsunade Senju doesn't want them in Konoha"

Itachi mused his father had said, wondering if Yahiko knew of the bad reputation of his company and if he was involved in their illegal affairs, he wasn't the type to resort to such means, there had to be some other explanation.

Fugaku studied his son for a couple of seconds they had similar expressions, the older Uchiha then sighed and smiled for a second, and Itachi raised an eyebrow, what was his father thinking about?

"I didn't mean to tell you so soon, but, since it came up, I want you to take the position as Ceo of Uchiha when Madara retires."

Itachi's eyes widened as he took in his father's words.

"But…that's in two weeks!" he wasn't panicking, but getting such a promotion so suddenly and at such a young age would set anyone in a panic, even the stoic Itachi, he would become the youngest Ceo Uchiha ever had.

His father had already been in his thirties when he was promoted and Madara was a little older than him.

"Yes, I know it's sudden, but the position would have been yours eventually, I believe you have everything that is needed for the position"

"What does Madara think?" he was curious.

"It was his idea, and I agree with him. He will probably announce it at his retirement party. No one will know till then" his father reassured, knowing already that Itachi would prefer it this way.

He couldn't finish his thoughts though, because a blonde blur stomped into the office, looking more like a yellow flash than a human being, and stopped in front of the younger Uchiha's desk, pointing his finger at him.

"You! What are your intentions with my daughter?"

Itachi looked at the finger just a mere inches from him with a raised eyebrow, and Fugaku looked up from his chair at the furious Namikaze with the hint of a smirk.

"Minato! What the-"

"You stay out of it! It's something between me and your backstabbing son"

Really, Minato went a bit overboard some times.

"Minato I-" Itachi raised his hands, deciding it was best to use his Uchiha composure since he didn't want to enrage the man further.

"It's Mr. Namikaze for you" he hissed, his eyes narrowing as he studied the pale face that wasn't showing any emotion at all.

"Minato, this is not necessary" Fugaku tried to butt in, but his son gestured for him to stay out of this.

"You are right to be mad Mr Namikaze, as the son of your business partner I should have probably asked for your permission before asking your daughter out on a date"

The blonde irate man looked puzzled for a second, he probably wasn't expecting an apology. Itachi sure knew how to use the fine art of diplomacy, he had to give him that, and, even if he wouldn't admit it, found the young Uchiha heir a well mannered man, someone every father would want for their daughter, but being the jealous and overprotective father he was, he couldn't help but reassure himself that the Uchiha wasn't just fooling around with Naruko.

"Yes, you probably should have"

He crossed his arms on his chest, and Itachi knew he was slowly surrendering. Fugaku looked at his son and they shared a quick confused look.

"Then, Mr Namikaze, I ask you permission of dating your daughter"

Minato's blue eyes widened, he wasn't expecting that, he wished he had been more intimidating and that Itachi wasn't so well bred and talented so that he could at least find a good reason to hate him and keep him away from his baby Naruko.

"Ah, Minato, I forgot to tell you, Madara has nominated Itachi Ceo of Uchiha. He will assume his new position after Madara's retirement"

Now that was foul play, and Minato scoffed at Fugaku's smug expression. He had said it on purpose, that way he couldn't oppose the newly formed relationship between their two children, cornering him.

Itachi was to be nominated Ceo at 22, even a younger age than Minato himself, that had been nominated at 24.

"Fine, there's not much I can oppose to, it seems" he muttered, giving Itachi a dignified glare.

"You have my permission, even if I still don't like it"

"I appreciate it".

Itachi truthfully replied, and Minato grunted, still not very pleased, but uncapable to find a good retort to that. The Uchiha had easily overpowered him.

"Fugaku we better and discuss Sabaku's contract, we have to meet him in an hour" Minato reminded him as he left.

"Of course, Itachi, you should come to"

"Yes father, I will meet you there in a minute"

The two men left, leaving a confused and exhausted Itachi, that finally sat down, letting everything, sink in. He was going to be made Ceo, a position he didn't think he was ready for, in less than two weeks, and the father of the girl he probably was starting to love hated him. His life was just perfect. He closed his eyes for a second, and fished his phone out of his pocket, and called the only person that could make him feel better.

'Itachi?'

A soft feminine voice answered, just from the happy tone he could tell she was full of energy.

"Hi Naruko, what are you doing?'

'Hey! I just finished training with Kaka-sensei! And now I'm going over to Shikamaru's place, I am a little worried I haven't heard from him since the party, and he didn't look to happy'

'Training? How did that go?'

'It was awesome, Kakashi said that if I keep it up I will get my black belt in no time' she happily replied, and he was glad he had called her, she made him feel better already.

He smiled, as he heard her explain to him all the new techniques she had learned, and how she had annoyed Kakashi and Yamato, he loved listening to her talk. He leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

'Really now?' His lips tilted upwards, pride building up in him at her accomplishments.

'Yeah! And I'm going to compete in the next tournament in Suna!"

'I thought you weren't interested in tournaments'

'yeah…I know, but someone inspired me, and I want to make him proud'

Itachi could imagine her cheeks turning a bright cherry color as she said that, and smirked.

'Kakashi mentioned that maybe you could come and assist at one of our training sessions….you don't have to though….he says a lot of things an-'

'I will come' he readily answered, shutting her up for a couple of seconds.

'Really?' He could feel her enthusiasm from the phone, she was probably skipping down thenroad as a blur.

'Yes'

'I love you!"

Itachi's eyes widened and Naruko gasped as she realized what she had said out of impulse, and wanted to smack her head on a wall or something, she couldn't help it, it had just slipped!.

'…I'm sorry….I…I will call you tomorrow'

'Naruko?'

The line went dead, and Itachi looked at his phone, cursing loudly. She had caught him by surprise, and he hadn't be able to react on time and know who knows what she was thinking. He rubbed his hand over his face. Nothing could make his day worse now.

"Itachi! What ya doing cousin?"

The Uchiha felt like he could commit murder as Shisui looked at him with a big grin, that promised some kind of torture.

"Why didn't you tell me about your date?"

He threw the first thing he could find at him.

888888888888888888888888

"So what do you think we should do now? I have had enough of this place" Ino complained as she checked her watch. They had been there all morning.

"Sasuke should be here at any time now, relax pig!"

Sakura answered looking around trying to spot her boyfriend somewhere. He was supposed to get something, he hadn't really told her what it was, and told her that he would meet her there.

"Yeah, and what am I supposed to do when he gets here? The third wheel?, excuse me but no"

Ino flipped some hair behind her shoulder, sighing loudly. She was getting so depressed, it seemed like all her friends where involved with someone, two of them being Uchiha's, to say she was getti g depressed was an understatement ,she was really starting to think that that cupid guy was blind or had a terrible aim or something, making her fall for the most oblivious guy of all of Konoha.

"Pig! You know we enjoy your company!"

The pink haired girl tried to make her feel better, without much luck.

"Yeah, I'm sure Sasuke is ecstatic when I'm around" she joked rolling her eyes at her friend, that smiled apologetically.

"Plus, I have to get back to the flower shop, my mother might need my help"

"Yeah pig, I'm sure everyone is rushing in to buy flowers with this heat"

Sakura retorted, taking another look around, her eyes widening when she spotted someone in the crowd.

She immediately got an idea and started jumping and waving trying to get his attention.

"Sai! Hey Sai! Over here!"

Ino whipped her head up, and looked in horror as the black haired teen looked towards them and waved happily, walking in their direction

"Sakura! What the hell are you doing?"

The pink haired girl smirked, ignoring the blonde's fingers winding around her wrists furiously.

"This way you won't be the third wheel, consider yourself lucky, this might turn out good, and maybe Sai will finally realize you like him"

Ino gaped at her and really wished she could slap her odiot friend that was trying to play match maker. That was her role! No one could set up the match maker, it was a rule!.

"How nice meeting you girls here, what are you doing?"

He asked a small smile on his lips as he finally approached them. Ino hid a little bit behind Salura feeling shy all of a sudden, which was news to her. She had never been shy in front of a boy, not even those times she confessed to Sasuke.

"We are waiting for Sasuke, we have to go and buy some things, but Ino was complaining that she has to go back to her family's flower shop and-"

"Your family owns a flower shop?" Sai asked looking directly at Ino, ignoring Sakura that smirked evilly hoping no one would notice.

"Umm, yeah…it's nothing special just a little shop…"

"Wait a minute, Yamanaka flowers! Of course I never related it to you before! My brother works nearby and I always pass by there when sometimes I go see him, and I must admit, you have a wide selection of flowers, you are probably the best furnished store in Konoha."

Sakura battled her eyelashes, they were hitting it off even better than she could ever dream of.

"Oh, you see, my mother loves exotic flowers, and convinced my father to expand our variety"

Ino was gaining her confidence back, it was the first time she was managing to have a normal conversation with him, and she found it relaxing.

"Forehead? I should really be going, you don't mind if I leave you here to wait for Sasuke on your own?"

Ino was sure Sai would offer to walk her if she had calculated everything, and she would obviously accept.

Sakura caught the hint, and shook her head so hard she probably looked like a cartoon.

"Of course not! I will see you later"

Sai looked as if he was thinking hard about something, if the furrow of his brows was something to go by.

"Ino, I am going in the same direction, I can walk with you"

The blonde grinned, and the Haruno widened her eyes in surprise, what had happened to the oblivious and uncapable of catching hints Sai? Had they replaced him with a clone or something? Had an alien abducted him?

"Of course! I would love to! Bye forehead!"

"Good! Bye ugly!"

Sakura felt her eye twitch dangerously, and was about to follow the suicidal teen and show him why he should never get Sakura Haruno mad.

"What did he call me?"


	21. Chapter 21

I obviously don't own Naruto! Forgive me sometes I forget about putting a disclaimer up here

Chapter 21

A loud banging at the door woke him up from his nap, he was home alone, his father was at work, and his mother had gone food shopping, so no one else was there to open the door and let the npisy intruder in. He was slightly disoriented and realized he had fallen asleep on the couch, the reason why he could hear the noise from outside so clearly. He sighed and glared at the clock, it was only three pm who would bother him at that ungodly hour of the afternoon? It was the best time for his daily rest.

Finally realizing that the bang instead of slowing down became even louder and more insistent, sighing loudly finally Shikamaru dragged himself to the door, and when he opened he was welcomed by a blonde blur that stomped into his house at the yell of "I'm an idiot"

The young Nara simply battled his eyelashes, trying to get over the trauma of his rough awakening.

"I don't think I understood what you so delicately said, Naruko" he yawned, closing the door behind him and joined the girl in his living room.

The girl simply fell back on his couch slumping down in it, pouting.

She felt comfortable at the Nara's house, it was like her second home.

"I'm an idiot! The biggest idiot of Konoha, no, not Konoha, the whole freaking Five nations, no... that is not enou-" she started to ramble, and he had already understood that something was not right from the moment she had stepped inside.

"Ok, I got the message" Shikamaru stopped her, because he knew she would find the way of going on forever.

"Women are such a drag...so, what happened?" he asked as he sat on the carpet, his head leaning back on the sofa, to look at the sulking blonde.

"Well...you know...that Uhmmm how do I say this?"

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at her. She had always told him everything, and she knew he wouldn't judge her. But there was one topic they had never dealt with, because neither of them had had any experience to share, except Naruko's infamous crush for Kakashi.

"Let me guess, it has something to do with Itachi"

By the way her breath hitched and her cheeks flushed red immediately he knew he was right, not that he had any doubts, he wasn't called a genius for nothing.

"How...how did you know?"

The brown haired teen, sighed and shook his head at her genuine innocence.

"Come on 'Ruko, anyone that truly knows you could tell you are head over heels for the guy"

Well, she shouldn't really be surprised, everyone always told her she was like an open book, mostly because she couldn't keep secrets on her own, so really she should have expected this.

"Oh"

"Yeah... I saw you two at the party, it was pretty obvious for me that there was something going on"

"Oh..."

Shikamaru grinned, anyone that saw then together could see it, it's not like Itachi was trying to be subtle or anything. "Anyway, what did you do that set you on a panic?"

"Why does it have to be something I did!" she huffed, crossing her arms on her chest with a pout, her orange shirt almost looking pale compared to her flushed skin.

"Do you really need to ask that?"

"I...ugh...I told Itachi I love him... through the phone" she hid her face with her hands, and the Nara really had to hold back to keep himself from laughing. This was just so typical of her, always having trouble keeping her feelings and thoughts for herself.

"That's it? I thought you had really done some stupid shit, but this is nothing really out of the ordinary for you"

"Because I go around telling people I love them everyday" she muttered, throwing a pillow at him, that he dodged right at the last second.

"I meant that you always say the first thing that comes to your mind, you don't have filters, you are open with your emotions and your thoughts"

Naruko thought about that for a second, but it still didn't make her feel better.

"How does that make it any better? Itachi will still think I'm an idiot"

"What are you more worried about, him thinking you're an impulsive idiot? Which I am sure he already is aware of , or him not feeling the same way? Because you do love him... it wouldn't have slipped like that if you wouldn't mean it, and you're afraid he will break your heart"

Naruko listened carefully, and didn't bat an eyelash as she did, because she knew Shikamaru had gone straight to the point. She had exposed herself and her feelings too early, in their not yet defined relationship, he hadn't even asked her to be his girlfriend! She was such an idiot, Menma was right when he told her she couldn't keep a secret if it was to save her life.

"He didn't even ask me to be his girlfriend! Of course I'm afraid I will get my heart broken! It's impossible to fall on love with someone so easily and in such a short period of time...but...I...know what I feel..."

She hid her face with the pillow this time, not wanting her best friend to see her like that, on the verge of tears. She regretted when she didn't have to worry about stupid feelings, since she had met Itachi her life had completely changed.

"Relax Naruko and listen to me" She felt Shikamaru's hands on her arms, shaking her out of her self induced depression.

"Itachi is what...five years older than us? He is a a college graduate, and has other ways of showing what he feels and what he wants out of a relationship I am sure he let's his actions speak for him more than words, he might not have said it clearly, but he might already consider you his girlfriend. The key to every relationship is communication, talk about it next time you see him."

"I don't know if I can face him" she admitted sniffing on Shikamaru's shoulder, and the Nara shook his head, stroking her blonde hair.

"You're no coward, you will manage, you love him don't you? Then just tell him the truth, there is no right moment to fall in love with someone, it just happens. Don't let your own feelings stop you...I did and I lost someone I loved"

Naruko eye's widened like saucers and she deranged herself from his embrace to look at him in the eyes.

"What do you mean? Shika you had someone and you didn't tell me?" she couldn't hide she was a little hurt, she never hid anything from him but it seemed he did. Then again, she couldn't get mad at him, not when he was looking so...broken. She had focused on her stupid problem, that really wasn't such a big deal, forgetting that she had gone there to see him because he had looked a little off at the party, and she had meant to find out why and comfort him in case he had needed it, but, here he was, comforting her, being the best friend she could have ever asked for.

"Shika...why didn't you tell me? Who was it? I am going to go and kick her ass for hurting you!"

She shot up her fists in the air, and Shikamaru rolled his eyes at her.

"This is why I didn't tell you, you would have gone and made a scene at the party, I wanted to avoid that"

"Wait, she was at the party? How did I miss this! Do I know her?" Naruko had got back to her own hyper self, apparently he had succeeded in comforting her.

The Nara sighed rubbing his hands on his face, he knew there was no way of escaping now.

"Well...you know Gaara..."

"Wait...it's Gaara?" she interrupted, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise, her arms falling along her body, as she looked at him with an incredulous glare.

"It's ok...I mean, I didn't know you, amongst all our friends would have such preferences I mean, I would have expected Shino or I don't know even Sai, to be the ones to come out, this...is unexpected, and Gaara-"

"It's not Gaara! You didn't let me finish!" his cheeks weee a little red out of embarrassment, he wasn't really keen on opening up, and it didn't help her interrupting him every two seconds.

"It's Kankurou?"

"Naruko!"

"Sorry! I will shut up now"" Geez

"Geez, you're so troublesome such times...anyways...it's Temari...we met a couple of months ago, while I was in Suna with my parents, I didn't know she was Gaara's sister, I found out when you brought her here with him last week"

Naruko scratched her head with her fingers as she thought about the blonde girl and her best friend.

" But…you acted like you didn't know her!" and they had fooled everyone, even her.

"I had to, she didn't want her brother's to find out, although I think they suspect something anyway"

Naruko blinked a few times, still a little shook from his confession.

"We started seeing each other while I was in Suna, and then she would come here to Konoha with the excuse of visiting Konoha's college, you know she is two years older than us, so she could move around more freely than I did"

Naruko nodded, she knew Temari was older, and she knew she was set to start college this year.

"Wait, why did you two split up?"

Shikamaru sighed and put his arms behind his head, elbows in the air, and relaxed against the couch.

"She said she didn't want a long distance relationship, that it was better we ended it before one of us got hurt, too bad I already was in too deep. When I saw her at the parry flirting with all those guys….I realized I wasn't over her."

Naruko smiled softly and threw herself at her friend enveloping him in a bear hug for comfort. It was rare seeing her best friend like that. The other only occasion had been when one of their teachers, Asuma Sarutobi, the one that was closer to Shikamaru than most, had died in a terrible car accident a couple of years ago.

He hadn't spoken to anyone for days, until fed up, Naruko had barged in his house, shaking him out of his grieving, with bear hugs and lots of movies, she had even learned to play shogi.

"You know she will be staying in Konoha, right? She is going to attend college here" Gaara had told her casually when they had met telling her she had come to find an apartment where she could live in, taking advantage of her father's business trip.

"She didn't tell me…"

Naruko maybe wasn't the brightest person in Konoha, but she was one of the closest to the Nara and the one that knew him better then anyone, and his heart broken expression told her exactly what she wanted to know.

"She didn't tell you" She felt something stir in her, she didn't want to see him suffer.

He looked away, and she knew she had him cornered. She got up, and felt a determination rise in her, she felt fired up, wanting Shikamaru to be happy because he deserved it, and she would go to Temari and give her a piece of her mind.

"Get up Nara, it's time I give Suna girl a little Namikaze treatment!"

Shikamaru widened his eyes, and looked at his determined friend, knowing well there wasn't anything that he could do and say to dissuade her when she got in that fiery state.

"She didn't want me to know, it must mean she doesn't care. I'm just some stupid kid to her that fell in love with her like an idiot"

He looked depressed now, and she rolled her eyes at him. He might be considered a genius, but sometimes he was really dense.

"You are more mature than most boys her age, if she doesn't see it, I will make sure she understands the great person she lost" her fists tightened, making her look like a blonde version of her mother. She grabbed Shikamaru's hand, forcing him up.

"Let's go, I know where to find her" she insisted tugging his hand, making him groan in protest.

"What a drag….can I at least put my shoes on?"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi was finally relaxing in a little cafè near the Uchiha building after his stressful day at work, even if relaxing really wasn't the right word, since he had to endure Shisui's exhausting rambling and Deidara and Sasori bickering constantly.

Thank God Kisame was a quiet person.

"So, you still didn't tell me how your date with Naruko went"

Being the smart person he was, he had already provided in freeing the table of possible objects Itachi could use as a weapon to throw at him. Better be safe than sorry

Shisui smirked spying Itachi's change of expression with a raised eyebrow. To others his expression might have stayed the same, but the older Uchiha knew where to look.

Deidara at the mention of the word date, perked his ears and scooted Sasori out of the way, so he could get closer to the two cousins, and look at the younger Uchiha, ignoring his boyfriend's protests.

"Date? You had a date and you didn't tell me?"

Itachi closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers, a headache was brewing, he could feel it, and was glad he could read some sympathy in the Hoshigaki's face.

"Yell a little louder idiot, I think the man on the far left didn't hear you" Sasori mocked, a little resentful towards his blond partner ignoring him for what he considered girl talk.

The downside of being gay usually was that you didn't have to deal with women's pettiness. At least that's what he had thought, he just had to fall in love with the blonde idiot that was ten times worse than any gossip girl he had ever known.

The artist simply stuck his tongue out at the red head that huffed at his childish behavior.

"So? Where did you two go?" Shisui was grinning, and Deidara was gaping at him with big blue eyes wide, hands on his mouth as to keep his excitement at bay.

Itachi snorted, there was no way he could keep this to himself, his mother must have told Shisui's, there was no other way his cousin could have found out.

"I guess you will bother me until I tell you"

Deidara nodded strongly, making Sasori scoff at him, and Kisame smirk at the red head's distress.

"You know we will, just tell us will ya?"

The long haired Uchiha wished he could burn them or make them disappear, but unfortunately his stare didn't hold that power. He couldn't even intimidate them, and wondered if Naruko was actually softening him up, before deciding he didn't actually care.

"You don't even know the place, even if I did tell you" he smirked feeling a bit smug watching their annoyed expressions.

"Come on…I need details!" Shisui whined prodding his face on his left hand with his lips in a pout.

"So you can go and tell my mother?" Itachi raised an eyebrow at his cousin's surprised expression, before it turned into one of understanding. There was no way of fooling Itachi Uchiha.

"Damn…"

"Well I don't really care for details, at least now I can erase your name from my list" Deidara happily announced, making everyone raise their eyebrows, except his boyfriend's who was already aware of the extent of the blonde's insanity.

"What list?" Shisui asked suspiciously, a little glum for the lack of details, knowing his aunt will not be happy with him.

"He takes note on all our single friends, and tries to match them up, he's like a wedding agency" Sasori grimly explained, showing the other's just how much he loved Deidara, to put up with his craziness.

"It's how I found out I was interested in you my love" Deidara kissed his red head's cheek with a smile. Itacji wrinkled his nose at the thought of such information in Deidara's hands.

The Akasuna smacked a hand on his face, ignoring Shisui's laughs and Kisame amused expression.

"You have such a list?" Kisame asked, taking a sip out of his green tea, giving Deidara a mocking glare.

"Of course, and you are included fish face"

"What a joy" he mumbled, it's not like he was looking for a relationship, and he certainly would not hope for Deidara's help to get one.

The small group, was just about to leave, and Itachi was the first to get up, heading for the counter to pay the bill, when a gasp and a call of his name made him turn around, looking for the source, smiling when he noticed the long haired girl smiling back.

"Itachi! What a surprise seeing you here!" she stepped closer smiling back, pulling her brown hair on one shoulder, out of her way.

"Izumi, how are you doing?"

She seemed to think about it, and then rested a hand on her barely swollen stomach, stroking it lightly.

Itachi's eyes widened when he realized what she was trying to tell him, but damn it, he had met her last week, and she hadn't looked pregnant, of course he had barely noticed the way she was dressed that evening, so he might have missed the bump, and she might not have felt like telling him anyway.

"I guess congratulations are in order"

He said, pointing his finger at her barely pronounced stomach. She looked mortified for a moment, and then nodded.

"I didn't know how to tell you. It seemed like too much all at once."

She lowered her gaze, avoiding his, looking a little uncomfortable, he could tell by the way she was fidgeting, and nervously moving her feet.

"It's ok, you don't have to justify yourself with me."

"I…know…but I didn't know how you would take it"

He frowned for a second, and sighed, before giving her a small smile.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm happy for you, and, I have moved on too"

She smiled sincerely, and her big dark eyes lightened up.

"I am glad to hear that, you deserve it"

Itachi heard some rustling behind him, and saw his friends were ready to leave. They hadn't noticed the woman in front of him. He and Izumi were standing right by the glass wall, where they could be seen by the outside, and they could see outside as well, and he noticed a tall well built man, with shoulder length brown hair, looking bored standing outside.

"I have to go, Genma is waiting for me outside" she

"Ah, so that's him" the man looked fairly familiar, but he wasn't exactly sure they had met.

"It was nice seeing you" she said smiling, leaning in to give him an awkward hug, that he couldn't really avoid.

Unfortunately, right in that moment a blonde girl was walking right pass that same cafè, seeing the scene.

Itachi though, thought he had only imagined the blur of blonde hair, running away. 8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"Naruko?" Shikamaru was following the stomping girl, she hadn't spoken anymore, since she had seen Itachi hugging a random girl. He was sure there was an explanation, but Naruko had blanched all color draining from her face, and had walked away, without saying anything.

"Naruko would you just stop?"

The girl didn't even turn, and Shikamaru sighed, stopping in his tracks, causing the girl to suddenly stop too, since she was pulling him by the sleeve, and bounce back falling on her bottom with a thud. She hadn't expected him to stop ao harshly probably.

"What did you do that for? Damn Nara" she complained massaging her sore bum, giving her best friend the evil eye.

He didn't say anything he crouched in front of her and looked at her straight in the face.

"You are so stubborn. This ain't even worth crying over" he commented studying her runny nose and reddened eyes.

"It's actually weird seeing you cry, since I know you, I have never seen you shed a tear."

She huffed, standing up, fixing her shorts, dusting them off.

"I am not crying! I mean, I told him I love him and then I see him hugging some girl, I have a right to be pissed!"

she was jealous, and the Nara couldn't avoid finding the whole situation amusing, almost taking pity on the Uchiha. He was convinced Naruko was turning the situation more dramatic than it really was.

"What a drag…she is probably a friend"

She couldn't find a good remark at that, because he was right, and she was being so stupid and unreasonable, but she couldn't help feeling furious, she wished Itachi was there so she could simply yell at him for allowing another woman to touch him. She had never experienced such a strong emotion. Jealousy had never been part of her.

Love really was twisting her mind.

"And I wasn't crying, for your information! Naruko Namikaze doesn't cry!

Shikamaru was staring at her, arms behind his neck, elbows up in the air.

"If you say so. Let me remind you that he still doesn't know you love him, for all he's concerned you might just have said it without meaning it. Think about it, before accusing him of whatever you think he was doing."

"Maybe I am crazy…but…I have these strong feelings for him….I don't know how to handle them"

Shikamaru's features softened at the girl, and sighed, hugging her softly, trying to comfort her.

"The best solution is always the easiest. I already told you, talk to him, don't let this form a gap in your relationship"

She nodded, thanking that she could rely on such a good friend, it still didn't make her completely relax, but it was a good start.

"If he saw us now, he could react just like you" she scoffed, hitting him on the arm.

"Shut up Nara"

He chuckled, his body vibrating against hers, and she rolled her eyes, detaching herself from him, staring at him and waiting until his moment of humor died down.

"Let's go now, Temari's hotel is right there!" she said, her hand on her hip, the other with a finger stretched out, pointing towards a big building not that far.

"You still want to go through with your crazy plan?"

He already felt exhausted, and just wished he could go back to bed.

"Of course! Now move lazy ass!" she skipped happily, full of energy as usual. Shikamaru sighed, and followed her, knowing already she wouldn't change her mind.

"What a drag…"

888888888888888


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Naruko knocked at the hotel door, Shikamaru right behind her, was silently hoping no one would answer, so they could leave and he could go back to bed, not to add, Naruko was seriously starting to scare him a little bit, she was standing there, her hands on her hips and a fierce expression, as she looked at the door, he didn't dare let out a sound, or she might think of using her karate moves on him too, seriously, he was too lazy to bother with that.

Itachi would have his hands full with her, he really was starting to feel a little sympathy for the Uchiha, not that he would ever tell Naruko.

The door opened, revealing an annoyed looking Kankurou, his expression changing to a surprised one as he realized who was standing there.

"Naruko? What are you-"

"Cut the pleasantries Sabaku, where is your sister?" her voice more determined as ever, her finger pointing behind the poor puzzled teen, that was probably trying to understand the reason for that invasion.

Shikamaru sighed behind her, as Kankurou's eyes narrowed, probably wondering if that was really the usual bubbly and happy girl standing there before him, maybe she had a split personality or something, maybe the Uchiha attitude had started to rub on her.

"Uh? You're here for Temari?" he rubbed a hand through his tousled hair, more confused than ever, it was too much for him, he had just started to doze off when they had knocked on the door.

"Yes, is she in there?" Naruko's voice was low almost scary, completely different from her usual cheery tone, he gulped, but didn't back down.

"She's in the shower right now…" the brown haired teen said, worried for her safety probably, and Shikamaru couldn't blame him.

"Very well, we can wait" she muttered the words, that had a sinister sound to them, they almost sounded threatening, almost.

"Naruko…are you sure?" he dared to ask the devil, and she simply gave him a stare that convinced him to not interfere.

"What a drag…I guess we'll stay then" he confirmed, and Kankurou moved from the door, letting them in, looking at Shikamaru with a raised eyebrow.

As soon as they both entered, Gaara looked at them with a puzzled look, taking his eyes away from the television, looking at their unexpected guests.

"Naruko?" he asked, his expression more confused, almost identical to his brother's, as he studied the blonde girl that was comfortably sitting down on one of the beds, as if that was her own house. Typical of her, she made herself at home wherever she went.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes at the red head, of course he would only notice her, he might as well be a blurry figure in the background for all that Sabaku could care.

The brown haired teen was very good at reading people, it was a natural talent he had inherited from his father, so it was no mystery to him, that the red head held some feelings towards the blonde oblivious Namikaze, of course, Gaara hid it well, never making anyone suspect, but the Nara was simply too observant to let something like that go unnoticed.

He yawned sending the red head a warning glance sittting beside Naruko, that was staring at the bathroom door with a frown.

"What is going on?" Gaara eyed his brother, that simply shrugged his shoulders, and Shikamaru yawned again, holding himself from laying down and taking a nap. He was tired, and bored, but mostly tired. Yeah, that was it

"What do you two have to talk about with Temari? Naruko you barely know her, and Shikamaru I…" he didn't know what to add, the whole situation was surreal.

"You don't need to worry about it, it's personal stuff" she smiled at her friend, and all three males stared at her as if she had grown a second head, she looked like she was about to kill someone with her expression just a couple of seconds ago, and now, she was her normal self, smiling at Gaara. Shikamaru couldn't help but blame it on hormones.

"Personal…stuff?" Gaara would have raised an eyebrow, if he had them.

"Well, I had forgot about you two…you know…I thought I could have dealt with Temari only…sorry for the harsh intrusion" she smiled apologetically, her hand rubbing her left arm.

Shikamaru blinked and side glanced at her stifling another yawn, she was scary, so it was best to go along with her. He was a wise man, and wanted to keep living, as he believed did the other two, for they didn't ask anymore questions, the atmosphere turning slightly awkward for the three males, especially for the Nara, since both Temari's brothers were staring at him, he was sure they suspected something.

He huffed, he couldn't be bothered too much though, and looked at the ceiling, trying to stay awake.

Suddenly the bathroom door unlocked, and Naruko sprang on her feet, her gaze fixed on the unaware gilr, that was calmly stepping out the door.

Temari was wearing a lose shirt and tight shorts, and her hair was down still wet, probably ready for a relaxing evening.

She walked out, and as soon as she closed the door and glanced at the room, she stopped on her tracks, raising an eyebrow at the new occupants, her eyes widening as she spotted Shikamaru on the far end, behind the blonde girl, who she recognized as Gaara's friend.

She barely had the time to utter a word, Naruko was faster than she was and she put a hand on her hip, the other with a finger pointing at her threateningly.

" I was waiting for you Temari Sabaku! I want to exchange a few words with you!"

The other girl, gaped, she had a faint suspicion as the reason why they were there, and, she felt something stir in her as she watched as Shikamaru simply stood behind the blonde, letting her verbally assault her.

Gaara and Kankuro watched from the small sofa, both more confused than before.

"About what? I don't even know you!" Temari answered holding her ground switching glances between the two.

Naruko's eyes narrowed her position hadn'tchanged, except the finger was lightly shaking from anger , Shikamaru sighed loudly. He just wanter to go home really.

"You know what you did! My friend here" and she pointed at the Nara that nervously looked at the two males, that were starting to understand what was going on, at least they thought they did.

"You hurt him! You wounded his soul deeply! He is been depressed for days because of you!" she inched closer and hit her with her finger at every statement, her blue eyes were full of anger, Temari couldn't look away, and not having a way out, backed into the bathroom's door, but that didn't mean it was over.

"Why are you speaking for him? Are you his girlfriend or something? Or is he such a crybaby that needs a woman to speak up for him?" Temari wasn't one to back down that easily, her character almost fiery as Naruko's. They were two troublesome blonde's, and if paired up with Ino, the three of them would be lethal for any man. She glared at the Nara as she said that, a smirk grazing her lips, and Kankuro snickered covering his mouth, nudging Gaara on the ribs.

"Man, we should have made some popcorn!" Gaara didn't even bother in answering his idiot brother, as did the others.

Naruko riled up even more hearing the obvious mockery towards her best friend.

"How dare you say this about him! you don't know him as well as I do! He is just too much of a gentleman, an would never pick a fight with a girl! But, I am a girl, so we are even, and, just so you know it, I'm his best friend! You broke his heart, made him suffer! You didn't even tell him you aee planning to stay in Konoha"

"It was none of his business, I would have eventually told him" the other blonde defended herself, her eyes looking straight into Naruko's who was fiercely looking back. The Namikaze scoffed at the words, feeling all the anger stir in her.

"He doesn't deserve to be treated like this by a spoiled brat like you! he is too good for someone like you! You were just toying around with his heart, while he actually had feelings for you! You were just fooling around!"

"I wasn't fooling around! I love him!" the Sabaku's eyes widened as soon as she realized what she said, the room suddenly fell silent, just the faint thud of something being dropped on the floor broke it for a few seconds -Gaara had inadvertently dropped the remote he was holding, from shock- then nothing else, Shikamaru's eyes were staring widely at the floor, in total disbelief. She had never told him she loved him, and he couldn't believe she had really said them.

"You what?" Naruko broke the silence, her voice raised a few octaves, she was slightly confused. She had given for granted that the blonde had just been playing with the Nara's feelings, not that she loved him.

Temari looked away in shame, one of her hands found her mouth and she started biting at her nails nervously.

"I…I hadn't planned on telling you this way….in front of an audience" she admitted, her eyes getting watery, and she covered her face with her hands.

Naruko simply stared, as she realized that she and Temari weren't that different after all, both of them had made fools of themselves in front of the man they loved.

She couldn't hold back a smile, as she relaxed, turning to look at Shikamaru, encouraging him to say something. He looked back, completely lost and she rolled her eyes at him, grabbing him by the arms, pulling him in front of her.

"But…I…you left me!" he spoke up, completely confused.

"Wait…you two were already together?" Kankuro was confused, and Naruko wanted to punch the brown haired teen for disturbing them.

"I know…and it was the worst decision I ever took!" she rubbed a hand through her wet hair, ignoring her brother.

"I didn't realize I felt so strongly….well I suspected it, but I didn't want to admit…but then, I saw you that Friday… and….well, the feelings were still there and-"

She eyed the other three people in the room, feeling a little shy of speaking her heart out in from of them, especially her brothers.

"Oh…hey guys, maybe we should" Naruko's eyes widened, and she smacked her forehead for being such an insensitive person, and looked at the two teens, motioning for the door, and Gaara immediately caught her message, grabbing Kankuro by one arm, and dragging him outside the room.

Naruko waved at the almost- couple or whatever they were, and mouthed ' call you later' to Shikamaru that nodded, thanking her as she closed the door behind her.

Once they were out the door, Gaara stared at the blonde girl for a couple of seconds, as he thought intensely about something.

"So you knew about this" he stated the obvious, and she nodded sighing.

"I found out this afternoon really, I'm sorry that we barged into your place like this. I was just so mad…" she felt like an idiot, she had gone there ready to rip the girl to shreds , and now she felt stupid for being so impulsive. It was the story if her life, but, how could she have imagined things would turn out like this? It made her consider if it was the right moment to actually find her own courage somewhere, and face Itachi. She already knew she wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it, until she did anyway.

"I knew there was something going on at the party, it just isn't in Temari's nature to be so….well, amicable" Kankuro spoke his thoughts, his arms crossed on his chest.

"The only problem is, father will be coming back soon" Gaara reminded his brother, whose eyes widened in worry.

"Didn't he have a business dinner with the Uchiha president tonight?" he asked his brother, and the red head shook his head.

"It's tomorrow night, he will be back soon"

Naruko grimaced, Temari and Shikamaru really needed to sort things out, and for that it would take more than a few minutes.

"Maybe you should…I don't know…delay him somehow" she said, thinking thay it wouldn't be a bad idea, so the boys could spend more time with their father. She knew Gaara would like it, since his relationship with his father had always been strained, and only recently was starting to get a little better.

"How could we do that?" Kankuro asked out loud, rubbing his chin.

"Well…take him out to dinner! Food is always the best answer!"

The two siblings eyed the blonde smiling girl, and then shared a glance, both not really convinced.

"Yes, but where? We don't know many places here in Konoha" Kankuro wondered, he really didn't like the idea of leaving his sister with that pineapple head.

"BarbeQ! They make the best meat, and it's just around then corner! Trust me, it's perfect!"

She gave then a thumb up with a bright smile, and the two brothers were convinced.

"All right, I'll go and call father" Kankuro said fishing out his phone from his pocket and walking a few steps away from the two.

Gaara sighed, and smiled softly at the blonde girl

"You should come with us" he offered, smiling gently, hoping she would accept, her father already knew her and he knew he liked her, so there wouldn't be a problem there.

She shook her head "Thank you for the offer, but, I think I have to do something, but, have a good evening, and Gaara, this could be a good occasion to get a little closer to your father" she smiled, and grabbed her training bag, that she had dragged with her all day, still smiling brightly. She had one last thing to do, before going home.

"I see. Thank you Naruko, for being such a good friend" The red head smiled, his green eyes shining, and she nodded.

"No, I should thank you, for letting me be your friend"

Gaara's eyes widened, and his expression softened, he would always hold a special place for her in his heart, but he knew it was time to move on.

"Bye Naruko, Itachi should know how lucky he is for having you" he really meant it, she was special, and he will always be grateful to her for helping him getting out of his shell of hatred, befriending him. He would always love her, but he was grateful that she considered him a good friend and let him be by her side as such.

Her eyes widened slightly, and he wondered if maybe she understood, what he really meant. If she did, he was glad she didn't say anything.

She nodded, and smiled, before grinning widely.

"Believe me I will make sure he knows" She turned, and waved at him as she ran out, waving at Kankuro and yelling a quick bye to the brown haired Sabaku, that only had enough time to wave quickly before she disappeared.

Kankuro emerged from the hall, still a little confused, and glanced at his still smiling younger sibling.

"You told her?" he asked, even if seeing that she ran out of the hotel as fast as she could wasn't really a good sign.

"No, I let her go"

He finally felt at peace. He probably would never tell Naruko how he really felt about her, but he would always have her friendship, and he would do anything to keep it that way.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko ran out, not thinking that she didn't know which direction she had to take. She didn't know where Itachi could be after all, he might still be around with his friends, at his house, or even back at his office. She had run towards the Uchiha corp building without thinking, and stopped in her tracks, as she noticed the building still far away, and completely enveloped in darkness, suggesting that no one was still in there.

She grabbed her cell phone from her pocket, and frowned when she realized it was completely dead. She had forgot to charge it, as she punctually did every time.

She sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping down in ddisappointment, she had really wanted to see Itachi and clear everything with him, and know she had no idea where to find him. She couldn't run around all Konoha after all, so, she grabbed her bag in silent resignation and headed back home with her head hanging low, walking in silence, avoiding the crowd that still animated the centre of Konoha.

She was almost nearing her street, her mood was under her feet, and she sighed too often for her liking.

She was so down, she didn't even notice someone walking in her direction.

"Naruko!" the soft male voice called her, and she raised her head, eyes widening, and lips quirking up, as she took in the person in front of her.

"Itachi!" her mood already lifting as she took a few steps, meeting him halfway, but she stopped a few meters from him, as she still felt embarrassed about the phone call they had earlier.

He cocked his head to the side studying her, feeling slightly confused as she didn't seem to want to get closer to him, raising a perfect eyebrow at her.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned him, taking in his appearance. He looked like he had just gotten out of work, his blue tie untied hanging loosely around his neck, his jacket hanging over his shoulder, and his hair tied up.

She knew he had been out for a while, since she had seen him with that girl in the cafè.

"I was looking for you. I tried calling you a couple of times but-"

"My phone is low on battery….I am sorry…" she looked mortified, and he couldn't hold in a smile, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her, but, and he felt his heart wrench, she was walking on eggshells and he definitely didn't want that, and wanted to solve whatever misunderstanding was between them.

He wanted to see the hyper and always happy Naruko, and damn, he missed her beautiful smile. He had thought about the words she had inadvertently slipped out all day, he ouldn't take them out of his mind.

"Naruko I-"

"I saw you…earlier with that…that girl" she unexpectedly said, she still felt very jealous, and was clearly annoyed, her lips forming a pout, and a blush spreading on her lips, as she realized he understood what she was feeling.

Itachi was taken aback, not that he was hiding something, but he understood that the blonde hair he thought he had seen hadn't been his imagination, and cursed himself for not having run out of the pla

"That was Izumi, my ex girlfriend, she was telling me she's going to have a baby with her new boyfriend" as he said that, he stepped closer, he was right in front of her now, his dark orbs staring back into her blue ones, as the hand that was holding her bag tightened it's hold, she didn't know what to do with that explanation, it didn't really make her feel better.

Itachi, seeing her still confused expression, pulled her closer, winding his arms around her waist, and she took the occasion, resting her arms on his chest, hiding her face between them.

"You don't need to worry about her, she is just a friend now, it's you I want" he said it in a low soothing voice, and she couldn't get herself to not believe him.

"I'm sorry, I know I don't have any right to ask you" she wasn't his girlfriend, and after all they had just gone out once, she already felt like an overbearing and possessive girlfriend.

Itachi froze as he listened, and he frowned at the girl, that was avoiding his gaze, still hiding with the help of his shirt.

"Why would you say that Naruko? Those words….did you mean them?" He needed to know, that question had been clouding his mind all afternoon, had been the reason he couldn't concentrate, why he had been trying to call her, and why he had been ready to go to her house to ask her.

"I…of course I did! Do you take me for someone who would go and tell everyone she knows she loves them? I probably shouldn't have even told you…I mean…I know it's too early…"

Itachi didn't let her finish, he swooped down and kissed her, a quick peck, but was enough to make her stop talking, even if just for the duration of the kiss.

"I was trying to tell you that if you don-" he rolled his eyes at her and kissed her again, this time more passionately, his head tilting to the side as he kissed her deeper, his hands roaming around her back, as one of hers fisted on his shirt, and the other threaded through his hair

They separated both feeling the need of air, but they were still holding each other closely.

"Are you just going to kiss me every time I try to apologize?" she asked, her voice low and husky, and he smirked as he stared into her eyes.

"That's the idea, yeah" he answered his own voice low and seductive, that made her weak in the legs as she leaned into him.

"I don't even know why you feel you should apologize, it's my fault if you're feeling like this"

"You're blaming yourself for making me have these feelings for you?"

He chuckled, and one of his hands went to stroke her cheek softly.

"I don't feel guilty for that, Naruko" he said calmly, his other hand pulling her even closer, her body almost touching his.

"I should have made it clear from the other night. I already consider you my girlfriend, I want to be with you, and only-"

This time it was her that pulled him down claiming his lips, in a sweet kiss.

"You're stealing my strategies" he observed once they separated, a smug smirk forming on his lips.

"It looks like it doesn't it?" she smiled, her cheeks reddening under his intense stare, his obsidian eyes taking in the deliciously red cheeks with amusement. It was the first time she took initiative and kissed him.

"You caught me by surprise almost making me forget what I wanted to tell you"

"And what was it?"

"I love you"

She gasped as she took in the words, and they both started laughing, because the tension had been finally released, the moment was definitely right, even if they had met a couple of weeks ago, the feelings between them had grown fast, and she couldn't agree more with Shikamaru, when he said that there isn't a perfect moment to fall in love, it just happened.

He leaned in for another kiss, but she stopped him, resting her finger on his lips, shaking her head at him, chuckling at his confused expression.

"You have to wait for my answer" she explained smiling brightly, making him smile back at her, impatient to hear her say the words.

"And?"

"I love you too"

He kissed her again, impatiently, his lips covering hers with urgency, and the kiss was becoming more heated and passionate than the others, he lifted her up a bit, so that he didn't have to lean down too much, since he was taller than her, and she held onto his strong shoulders, feeling the soft material of his shirt under her fingers, as his hand cupped her cheek, as the other roamed on the small of her back, finding the right spot on her hip.

They separated, and after a few quick kisses, since neither one of them wanted that moment to end, they finally caught some breath.

"So, are you hungry? I could surely eat something" he said as he let go, taking the forgotten bag, that had fallen on the ground at one point between their kissee.

"Hey, I am the one who's hungry usually" she protested with an amused expression.

"I know, that's why I was thinking I could treat you to ramen, I know Ichiraku is close by"

"Ramen?" Ramen and Itachi, it was the combination of her dreams. Her eyes shone with happiness and he swore he could see some drool forming at the angle of her mouth.

"Don't you feel up to it?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as he studied her reaction.

"Of course I do! I was thinking that maybe I should call my mother, you know to let them know I am not coming home for dinner"

"Here, use my phone, since yours is dead"

She smiled and composed to number, her mother's voice answering after a few rings, she explained the situation to her mother, that as soon as she had learned that she was with the Uchiha had cut of the conversation with a have fun and don't worry, said by her mother, that usually hated when she and Menma made plans last minute, made Naruko understand how enthused her mother was about her relationship with Itachi.

She handed the phone back to the raven that slipped it back in his pocket.

"So, you're ready to go?" he asked with a smile, and she nodded, getting hold of his arm, leaning onto it as they slowly made their way towards the little ramen stand, hand in hand.

"Did I tell you that your father came into my office to threaten me today?"

"He did what?!"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

It had been a few weeks from Itachi's confession, and everything was going very well for the newly made couple.

Naruko had been training hard for the tournament that would take place in a month, while Itachi had been busy with his job, Fugaku and Madara had involved him in all their important meetings, with the excuse that he would be taking over soon, and he had started to approve and deal with their major business partners, including Minato, that despite his initial dislike of the young Uchiha, had to admit that he was very good at business, and he was sure that he would change and improve the company and Namikaze would benefit from that and the idea of a merger under Itachi's command was starting to look appealing to the Namikaze, that had been reluctant until that moment.

He still wasn't fully accepting of the relationship between the Uchiha and Naruko, but after getting an earful from both his daughter and his wife, he had mellowed down a bit, although he would need time, lots of it, to fully accept it.

There had been developments in the gang also. Ino and Sai were officially dating, for Ino's happiness, Neji and Tenten had just celebrated their first two weeks as a couple, while Hinata and Menma were nearing their first month and Sasuke and Sakura had celebrated their first three months.

Temari and Shikamaru were still working things out, she still had to transfer to Konoha and was due to move at the end of the month, so for the time being the Nara was dependent on his cell phone, although he tried to hide it the best that he could, being a genius he had no problems.

In the meanwhile, Naruko and Itachi had managed to keep their relationship if not a secret, they had kept under wraps, and both had been very reserved about it. They still hadn't officially met their respective friends, and their families, although they knew, still hadn't seen them together, for Kushina's and Mikoto's displeasure.

They had been very careful, going on dates in places none of the people they knew usually went to, seeing their friends separately, and never going to the other's house when the other was there, although that applied only for Naruko since she was the one that frequently visited the Uchiha household due to her friendship with Sasuke.

That night though, was going to be different, because te Namikaze twins and the Uchiha siblings were going to spend two days together, since their parents had to leave for a business gala that that year was being held in Suna. Fugaku had decided to attend this year, since Itachi still wasn't officially the Ceo, but had already told his son, that from next year on, he would be dealing with such nuisances.

Minato hadn't really liked the arrangement, and Menma had complained that they were old enough to stay home without adult supervision, but Kushina had put her foot down, and Mikoto had been too willing to offer her help, so, that afternoon, Kushina and Minato had drove them to the Uchiha's, and Naruko, Menma and Sasuke, had waved at their parents, as they left, in a shiny black limo, they had reserved for the trip. Their mothers were all smiles, the elder Uchiha had his usual stoic expression and Minato, well he was almost in tears.

The three stayed there, and as soon as the car a

"So…what now?" Naruko asked, as she stood with a hand on her hip. Her black and orange t-shirt was tied at her waist, and she was wearing matching black shorts, it was hot that day, and she had tied her hair up in a bun, and was fanning herself with a hand to find some relief.

"Well, we could go inside, turn on the Ac and play video games until Itachi comes home"

"Sounds good to me, when are the girls coming over?" Menma asked casually as they walked back inside Sasuke immediately turning on the tv as he sat down on the floor not bothering to get on the carpet, appreciating the coolness of the tiles.

"The girls? You invited Sakura and Hinata over?" the blonde asked, closing the door behind her.

"Have you asked Itachi?" she questioned, and Sasuke scoffed at her.

"He shouldn't complain, after all you're here" he answered giving her an amused look, and Menma snickered at her blushing face, she still felt shy talking about it in front of them, they were respectively her's and Itachi's brothers.

"What does that mean?" she questioned, her hands on both sides of her bare waist, and a bewildered expression, her bkue eyes focused on the dark haired teen sitting across from her, she liked the idea of the girls coming over, she just wanted to make sure Itachi was ok with it. He had been working crazy hours in the past weeks, and she could see everytime they met how tired he was. She was worried for his well being, and wanted for him to rest, and she knew he wouldn't be able to do so if he was worried about something, or if they had guests he wouldn't feel comfortable to rest properly.

"Make a guess dobe…you are his girlfriend, so he can't complain about us having ours over" Sasuke replied, pretty sure he was the one in reason, he didn't need Itachi's approval to invite his girlfriend over, not when his brother had the freedom of doing what he wanted, even if he was the one in charge and Naruko was there because of their mother's arrangements, he still felt that if he wanted to invite Sakura over, he was free to do so, it didn't matter what his brother had to say about it.

"Yes, but he is responsible for us, technically, I still think you should have at least told him" she specified, and the Uchiha snorted at that.

"Doesn't it feel weird that your being babysitted by your own boyfriend" he cocked his head a bit, watching her with those dark eyes that held a small hint of amusement as he tried to fake an innocent expression, that riled her up more than his words.

"What kind of a question is that you damn Teme!" she growled hitting him with a punch at the top of his head, and Menma simply sighed at them. This was just typical of them.

"A legitimate one!" he answered, he wasn't backing down irritating the blonde that now was trying to hit the Uchiha with a pillow.

"No it's not! He is not babysitting us!"

"Would you stop it! It's a pretty stupid argument! And I will not be grounded again because of your idiocy"

The black haired Namikaze wasn't looking forward to spending two days with those two morons, it was one of the reasons why he had tried to oppose the plan in the first place, the only good thing being that the girls would be there soon, and so was Itachi, maybe one of them could stop the petty argument, since apparently he wasn't able to do so.

"Fine!" Sasuke muttered as he turned on his play station glaring at the blonde that simply stuck out her tongue at him, not feeling like letting him have the last word.

"Dobe!" he growled at her, and she simply answered with a mocking glare of her own.

"What's up Teme? Can't stand losing to a girl?"

"We weren't even fighting! You want to fight? I will take you on right now!" he pointed his finger at her, and Menma slapped his hand on his face.

"Now you are being ridiculous!" as always, he wanted to add, but he held his tongue, he knew it would take nothing for those two to team up against him, if it meant that afterwards they could fight without him interfering.

"Yeah, all right, but the Teme needs to apologize!"

"I need to what?!" Sasuke snapped to his feet, and Naruko grinned wider, thoroughly enjoying making him lose his patience.

"Ugh…here we go again"

Menma shrank into the sofa, he had lost all hope for those two.

"Apologize Teme! Have you ever heard of it? It's a common thing in our culture" she muttered, crossing her arms on her chest, an eyebrow raised as she tried to keep herself from strangling the damn stuck up moron.

"Tsk! What should I apologize for?" he was stubborn, and could not be forced to do something he didn't feel like doing.

"For being such a stuck up idiotic teme!" she barked back, and Sasuke simply scoffed at her words.

"Hn, like hell I will!"

Naruko was fuming by that point, but the doorbell rang, and Menma thanked the God, or whatever had stopped the onslaught between the two, and ran at the door, smiling widely at the two girls and pulling them both down into a desperate embrace, as he kissed Hinata on both cheeks, making her blush further.

"Thank God you're here! You don't know how happy I am to see you!" Sakura and Hinata glanced at each other rather confused by his behavior.

"I'm happy you're so glad to see us, but we do need to breathe" the pink haired girl, politely disentangled herself from the black haired teen's arms, leaving only Hinata, that sweetly patted him on the back, and Sakura left the couple, letting herself in, giving them some privacy.

"Is everything all right?" she asked as she ran her fingers through his spiky black hair.

"Yeah…it's just Sasuke and Naruko, they had a fight, and I can't stand when they fight, they can do some pretty crazy things"

She giggled at him, and he glared at her, not seeing the irony in his situation, snuggling his face on her shoulder, she was his comfort, and he loved her scent, it was sweet and he was pretty sure he was getting dependent from it.

"Don't worry, Sakura will keep them in check now" she reassured him, trying to hide her amusement from the situation, her hands now rubbing his back, soothingly.

Menma stood up straight again, winding his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side, she blushed as she rested her hand on his chest, and he swooped down pecking her on the cheek.

"We could just run away, and hide in my house" he knew they couldn't do it really, his mother had took all the house keys, to avoid that they'd just sneak inside, she had left everything spotless and that's how she wished to find her house when she came back.

"Running away is never really the solution, we should just go in there and…if they try and do some stupid thing, we will just stop them, together"

It sounded like they were talking about a war strategy and not about an annoying sister and best friend.

"What would I do without you" he sighed, resting his face on her head, inhaling her sweet lavender scent.

"Stop it you two idiots! I will knock some sense into your thick skulls if you don't just stop!" Sakura's screeching could be heard clearly from outside, followed by some incomprehensible answer.

"See? She can handle them!" she reassured him, and he sighed, nodding at her, not really convinced, but who was he to break her convictions?.

He simply shook his head and rubbed her back, leading her in the mad house, knowing that Sakura had a fiery character worst than his sister, they might end up destroying the house if left alone for too long.

Menma sighed, and Hinata chuckled, as they went inside.

"Let's go, they need sane people in there"

8888888888888888888889999999998888888889999999988

Itachi was sitting in his office, glancing at his wall clock every two seconds, he was itching to leave, and just couldn't wait for five o' clock to come, that way he could finally get out of there, take off those damn clothes he despised so much, and, most important, could see Naruko that was at his house right at that moment, and would stay there for two days, thanks to his kind mother, her being there was mostly the reason why he was so focused on getting his work done on time and why he had skipped lunch to do so, and because it was damn hot.

"Hey! How's it going?" Shisui stepped inside, cheerful and with his usual dumb smile, but, the raven haired Uchiha, was too busy studying some project a new company had submitted to bother answering him, instead he handed him some documents that were scattered on his desk.

"Have you ever heard of a company called Root?" he asked, taking his glasses off, and rubbing his tired eyes, peering at Shisui's concentrated expression.

"Root? Yeah,it's one of the companies Madara always refused to cooperate with" he answered, his expression turning serious as he glanced at the proposal they were making.

"If Madara doesn't want to work with them, why do they keep sending proposals?" Itachi wondered, glancing at the documents with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm afraid they might know that he is going to retire, and they hope the new Ceo will consider sealing a deal with them"

The older Uchiha, rubbed his chin in thought. It was rare for Root to reach out to another company, and it had been a while since they had approached Uchiha.

"Hn"

"I don't really like what they're offering, it seems like we are getting offers from the most despicable people in business these days" Shisui mused sending Itachi a glance.

"They think that whoever is going to take Uchiha will be naïve enough to consider their offers" Itachi concluded, one thing was for sure, he was going to have a lot of bothersome deals to turn down once he took over. And that was just in a few days. Sunday Madara was going to make the announcement, and he wasn't sure he was ready.

"You will manage. You are like a less scarier version of Madara just without the crazy hair, and a tree hugging best friend, but the same refined mind and intelligence. If there is someone worthy of the position, it's you. Obito was too concentrated on power and money, but you, you will give Uchiha what it has lacked for all these years"

Shisui patted him on the shoulder with a smile, and Itachi remembered why he had been his best friend for all those years. He always managed to reassure him and make him believe in himself.

"What do we lack?"

"Humanity. People only ever saw Madara as this ruthless business man, with no other thing in life but his career. You can give the company a breath of fresh air. Believe me cousin, he made the right choice, so, stop brooding, call the people from Root, tell then we don't need them, and forget your worries. Go home and sleep over it, you look terrible"

Itachi sighed, he couldn't blame him, he did look like he could use a good rest. Hia father had burdened him with an extra load of paperwork, and he had been working extra hours for the past week, still, despite how tired he was his sense of responsibility wouldn't let him just take off like thsr..

"I can't leave now!"

"Of course you can! You're the boss, remember? You can leave whenever you feel like it!"

He ruffled his hair, the same way he used to when they were growing up, Itachi simply smacked it out of the way, and Shisui sighed, looking at him like a proud mother hen.

"You have grown so much! I remember when you were this shy little kid that would always run around with those huge books, look at you now, prodigy of our family, ready to take the reins of the family company at barely twenty two" he sighed, resting his hands on his cheeks.

"Don't you have work to do?" he asked, knowing that until Shisui lingered in his office getting work done would be impossible.

"Nope, it's a pretty calm day in my section" the other answered getting comfortable in his chair. Itachi smirked hearing that. Maybe he could take advantage of that

"Hn, then help me here"

He ignored the brown haired man's horrified expression, and just raised a brow at him.

"What? I came here to see you! And you want to make me do extra work?"

"I'm the boss, remember? Now do as I told you, and make yourself useful, I would like to get home on time today"

"Ah….so that's it hn? My, so eager to get home today" he mocked with a smug smile on his lips, but Itachi didn't show any change of expression, although Shisui knew that he was embarrassed, if it didn't show on his stoic face, it could be seen from his eyes that were stubbornly avoiding Shisui's curious gaze.

"Shut up and do what I told you" he was starting to like being in charge, especially if it meant he could boss his cousin around.

"Yes boss" Shisui snickered covering his mouth, Itachi was a very patient man, but it was always best not to anger him, he sure didn't want to feel the consequences of his wrath, he had plans that evening, and if he didn't show up, then he would have to deal with Hana, and he didn't wish to go through that either.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

It was five thirty in the afternoon, the house had fallen into a comfortable silence, the two males were still playing video games, Hinata was knitting a scarf for Menma, while Sakura was reading a huge book she had brought with her. Naruko, incapable of staying still for too long, was roaming in the kitchen with a bored expression, nervously glancing at the clock, and she huffed, closing the pantry, not finding anything of her liking. She didn't understand why the Uchiha's didn't have instant ramen, it was the best thing in the world, and she and her mother would always make sure to have some in case of need.

She walked back in the living room, hungry and pouting, and Sasuke rolled his eyes at her, while the rest simply ignored her.

"What dobe? Couldn't find anything of your liking?" Sasuke was getting annoyed from her nervous roaming back and forth from the kitchen to the living room, grunting about being hungry, bored, or both together, Menma was pretty able to just ignore her, since he was used to it. His mother was the same way, and he knew it was best to not talk to them when they got into that state.

"Don't anger the beast Uchiha" he whispered to his friend, and Sasuke scoffed at that.

"I should be scared of her? But she's-"

"Sasuke, trust me on this one, swallow down that damn Uchiha pride and listen to me this one time!"

Menma was now looking straight into Sasuke's dark eyes, that were staring back at him, the Uchiha was wondering if the Namikaze genes had some insanity mixed amongst them.

"But-"

"No buts Sasuke!"

They both eyed the pouting girl, and Sasuke couldn't understand why Menma was being so overly dramatic. It wasn't in his character, and pretty unusual for the black haired teen, but something in Naruko's expression gave him the feeling that maybe, just maybe, listening to him this one time wasn't such a bad idea.

"I'm starving! Why don't you have anything edible in your house!" she whined, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Menma.

"Naruko, it was full of food in there when I checked earlier!" Sakura answered her, taking her eyes away from her book, and the blonde girl huffed again, slumping down on the couch.

"That's not food! It's healthy stuff! I want some sweets, or ramen! That would be great!" she sighed, dreaming of a big bowl of delicious noodles.

"You can't eat ramen at every hour of the day!" Sakura made a disgusted face, wondering how she was so thin in the first place, since she probably had a terrible diet.

"Ramen is the most delicious thing on earth!"

Sasuke frowned at that, and Menma, that opposite to his sister didn't like ramen at all, sighed.

"Yes, I have to live with that every day" the black haired twin rested his head on his hands, moping on the floor.

"Well, maybe if I have the ingredients I could make it for you" Hinata offered, and Naruko bolted upwards with a big grin on her face.

"You would do that for me?" Naruko looked at the Hyuga with bright shiny blue eyes.

Hinata smiled kindly, and Sakura nudged her on the side with her elbows.

"Being nice to the sister in law eh?"

The Hyuga blushed as she eyed Menma that was sitting in the other side of the carpet, and was looking at her with wide eyes.

"Oh…well…Naruko is my friend….so"

"I'm home!" Itachi walked inside, and he looked puzzled when he walked in the living room, taking in the scene that was unfolding.

"What is going on here?" he asked, as he took off his jacket, and started to undo his tie, a little surprised in seeing Sakura and Hinata there, but didn't question it, instead he focused on the blonde, that was crouched on the floor next to the sofa.

Naruko blushed when she saw him, and he smiled at her with a wave of the hand, when their eyes finally met.

"Dobe over there has an urging desire for ramen" Sasuke explained, not even looking at his brother.

"Ah, I see" he went back to the entrance and came back with a package and waved it in the direction of the blonde girl, whose eyes widened as soon as she understood what it was.

"I got your message. I thought you were delirious at first, but I thought it wise to pick some of this up anyway"

He smiled at her again, and she brought her hands to her mouth, forgetting the other people in the room with them, and launched herself at him, hugging him with all her strength, almost making him lose balance and fall backwards.

"You are the best boyfriend of the world! Thank you Tachiii!"

"Tachi?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow, ignoring Sasuke gagging on the floor.

She pecked him on the cheek, and he hugged her with his free arm, trying not to drop the package on the floor. It was terribly hot, and he didn't want to have to clean up ramen from his floor, especially after a hard day of work.

"I don't know if you're happier to see me or this cup of ramen" he mocked, as she finally climbed off him, still managing to keep her arms latched around his torso.

"Silly, you know the answer to that" she answered begrudgingly, hiding her face on his sleeve, as she realized the others had been watching them all this time.

He chuckled, putting his finger under her chin, lifting her head up slightly and leaning down to peck her quickly on the lips, satisfied by the blush on her face.

Sasuke and Menma watched with a disgusted face, while Hinata and Sakura had heart shaped eyes looking at them.

"They are so cute!" Sakura gushed with a small smile, and Hinata nodded, happy for her friend.

"Don't you ever do that in front of me again!" the younger Uchiha still hadn't seen them together, and he wasn't eager too, and being forced in his house with both of them he feared that he would assist to such scenes too often for his taste. Itachi rolled his eyes at his brother, and Naruko, still holding onto him, stuck out her tongue at him.

"Come on, let's go and feed you, how come when we're together you are always starving?" he wondered, and she folded her hand in his following him in the kitchen, forgetting about Sasuk and the rest of her friends.

"I'm always hungry, my mother says that I burn too much energy, that's why, I'm not sure if that's the reason though" she wondered as she picked out a bowl from the cupboard, and Itachi sat down on one of the stools, simply admiring her move around so comfortably as if that was her home, , he hadn't missed the way she was dressed either, probably due to the heat, she was showing more skin than usual, her short shirt showing her flat stomach and her neck void of her long hair, that was tied up in a bun.

She was stunning, and Itachi suddenly felt hotter, and reached for a glass of water, to try and cool his body down.

Naruko noticed his discomfort, and furrowed her brows as she studied him, taking him his exhausted appearance, and slight blush on his pale face, and she thought it was because he was over dressed in his work clothes, not even considering it was because of her.

"Are you all right? You look tired" she asked as she set up a cup of cold tea and two sticks of dango in front of him, she was aware he had skipped lunch, so, she had prepared a little something for him, while she was looking for something for herself earlier.

"Hn, Didn't sleep much last night" he admitted, leaning his head on one hand, while unbuttoning a bit of his black dress shirt, eyeing the little snack she had set up for him, with a soft smile.

She sat next to him, and reached out her hand stroking the dark lines under his eyes, he looked worn out.

"You look like you haven't slept well in weeks, are they over working you? Maybe I should have a few words with your father"

He looked down at her, chuckling at her words, she looked pretty serious, and he couldn't help but pinch her cheek, she was so cute.

"Hey!" she protested, rubbing the sore spot.

"You would face my father?" he asked, and she blinked at the question, shrugging her shoulders, as if the answer was obvious.

"Of course! I love you, and I want you healthy and well rested, so, if it's necessary, I will face the mighty Fugaku Uchiha, I will even get your mother on my side, I am sure she would agree with me"

"You are right on that" he admitted, he still remembered when her mother had threatened his father about calling Madara for the same reason.

She took a spoonful of ramen, and he laughed at her funny expression of delight.

"It's so good!" she moaned, a happy expression on her face, and the Uchiha shook his head, she was so easy to please, and he would buy her ramen every day just to see her happy like she was in that moment. His expression softened, and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, leaving a kiss on the top of her head, in a sweet gesture, and she leaned a bit into his chest, reeling in that warm embrace. She knew it was his way of thanking her, and it made her feel warm and protected.

"Want a bit of it?" she asked, feeling bad that the was sitting there, watching her eat when he had been the one that had missed lunch, although he could have bought himself some too if he had wanted to.

"No, I'm fine with my disgusting Dango, as I know you call them behind my back"

"It's not my fault I don't like them" she answered making a face at the stick he was holding, and he chuckled at her disgusted expression, they both didn't notice Sasuke, that was leaning by the door, with a soft smile on his face. He had wanted to get some water, but when he saw them, Itachi looking so relaxed and content in the arms of Naruko, he had slipped out, not wishing to disturb them.

He left, closing the door behind him, Sakura raising an eyebrow at him, as he sat next to her on the sofa.

"Hey, didn't you get something to drink?"

"I didn't want to disturb the happy couple in there"

She giggled at that, and he rested his head on her shoulder, smiling, he was always approving of the relationship, although he had often wondered what exactly had drawn Itachi to Naruko, but now, he could see it. They were good for each other.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Itachi was laying on the couch, one leg hanging down, as he changed stations trying to find something interesting and, more importantly distracting. He needed something that helped take off his mind the idea that Naruko, his beautiful and unaware girlfriend, was strutting around his house with annoyingly revealing clothes, showing off her beautiful body and tanned skin. It was a sudden change for him, used in seeing her with masculine baggy clothes, with the exception of their dates, where she always dressed nice and showed off her curves.

The shirt she had been wearing when he had arrived home, wasn't so bad, if compared to what she was wearing now. She had changed it, since she had stained the other earlier with ramen, and had borrowed one of his shirts, he hadn't even now she had roamed his closet until she had finally come back, with his black tank top, the one he had used for some competition back in college, when he and his friends had made a team, and Yahiko had enthusiastically made the black shirts with red clouds and on each one had added the last name of the owner. So, much to his liking she was walking around with 'Uchiha' written on her back, which was a small detail, because the damn thing only enhanced her curves, and he wondered how a simple shirt could look so arousing on someone. He was entranced, and couldn't do anything about it. Not when her brother was in the same house, and most importantly wasn't sure she was ready for that step. They had never even discussed about sex, and knew she was a virgin so he had promised himself he would go slow with her, one step at the time. He couldn't risk losing her because of his damn hormones.

He was glad she wasn't there right now, his frustration had reached a high peak, and he was thinking if hiding in his room was a good solution, or maybe turn the AC so high that she would need to cover herself up, and he would cool down his nerves a little bit. He knew her clothes weren't the main problem, he was attracted to her, and as a healthy twenty year old obviously had needs, so, he was sure that even if she had been covered from head to toe he would still desire her the same. Maybe it was just the damn heat.

He sighed, there was nothing worth watching on tv, and he was considering getting his laptop out and check some work related stuff, even if Naruko had forbidden him to think about his job, she was outside with the girls right now, she had sent everyone out to let him rest, she wouldn't be happy if she saw him working.

Menma and Sasuke were in the pool, he could hear them yelling and throwing water everywhere and he knew he would need to make sure they cleaned up later.

He heard soft footsteps, and raised his gaze, meeting his girlfriend's blue eyes staring back at him.

She sighed, and lied on top of him, tangling her legs with his to make herself more comfortable. The feeling of her hot body against his didn't help, and he tried to control himself and not react, he was successful for the time being.

"What's wrong?" he asked, glancing at her pouting lips resting his hands on her lower back, feeling the smooth and hot skin under his fingertips could make him lose his mind, so he tried to focus on what she was saying.

"Itachi…I'm bored!" she whined, hiding her face in his shirt, and he chuckled, his fingers now drawing circles on her back and she looked up, meeting his eyes, her cheeks slightly pink.

"Weren't you having fun with the girls outside?" he asked with a small smile, and she shook her head.

"Ugh, they were busy with nail polish and talking about things I am not interested in, plus, I want to stay here with you and cuddle" she snuggled closer, resting her head under the crook of his neck, tickling him a little bit.

"You were the one that left saying I needed to rest"

"Yeah well I will just rest with you"

"Hn" he let her wrap her arms around his body, and she lifted her head a bit, leaving a soft kiss on his chin and giggling.

"Did you manage to sleep a bit?" she asked raising her head to study his face and she frowned, he still looked tired, the dark lines under his eyes were still there. She didn't find them unattractive though, actually she could never find him unattractive. They actually enhanced his beautiful pale skin.

"Not really, I…had too many thoughts" he admitted, he wouldn't tell her though they were all about her and her damn skimpy clothes, he didn't know how he could survive till their parents came home if she kept tempting him like that.

"You should really take your mind off work when you're home" she reprimanded him, and he shook his head, lowering his head to claim her lips.

"They weren't work related, at all" he admitted, ruffling her hair, and she furrowed her brows, wanting to ask what the problem was, when her phone rang, and she shot up trying to find it in the pockets of her shorts. Itachi raised a brow, actually surprised something so short could actually have pockets able to contain it.

"It's mom" she informed him, finding a comfortable position sitting on his waist, supported by one arm on his chest as his hands rested on her thighs.

"Hey Naruko!" the booming voice of Kushina invaded the living room, making both Itachi and Naruko wince, it was almost as if she was yelling there next to them.

"Geez mom! it's a video call, you don't need to yell we hear you perfectly!" The blonde girl saw her smiling mother on the screen with Mikoto next to her, her father in the background looking gloomy, only Fugaku was missing But she could hear him talking in the background.

"Oh right I keep forgetting! How is everything in Konoha? Are you kids alright?"

"Yes mom, we are fine. How's Suna did you get there all right?"

"Oh yes, it's hot as hell here"

Naruko smiled at that, if Konoha was hot she couldn't imagine how that hell pit in the middle of the desert was like.

Mikoto came into the screen then, waving at her with her hand.

"Hi Mikoto!" Itachi grunted, he really didn't feel like speaking to her in that moment.

"Hello Naruko, how are the boys acting? Are they giving you any trouble?" she asked and the blonde grinned exchanging a quick glance with Itachi.

"Sasuke is behaving, Itachi is the one I'm worried about though" the man underneath her raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, curious to see what she would say. "Really? How come?" the Uchiha matriarch looked worried, and rubbed her chin as she listened.

"He's exhausted, I think they are making him work too much, he should probably take a day off or something"

Itachi didn't even know what face to make, his girlfriend and mother looked like they were going to team up against him, they were too powerful for him to try and overpower him.

"Is he there?" and he already knew from the sound of her voice that someone is going to get yelled at.

He shook his head at Naruko who rolled her eyes at him, and then looked back at the screen.

"No, he is…in the bathroom, yes, he's in there"

"Really?" she didn't look convinced, and the blonde smiled as widely as she could.

"Well then, tell him that tomorrow he better stay home and rest, or when I get home he will get an earful from his mother!"

"I-"

"Mikoto! He can't stay home tomorrow! The company is in the middle of a transition, it's a delicate process!" he had become even paler than usual.

"Fugaku I don't care about your delicate transition! Our son's health is more important, Naruko dear, make sure he gets plenty of rest tomorrow, and if he even tries to go to work, well lock the doors!"

"Mikoto someone has to tell Madara! He will have a fit!"

Fugaku tried without success to make her reason, more terrified about his uncle's reaction. It was his last day in office, on Monday Itachi would be officially nominated the new Ceo.

"Fine, I will call him! He won't yell to me. Have you heard Itachi? I know you're there, so just stay home and rest! You will need it"

Itachi sighed, looking at a smug Namikaze, and he smiled at her, it wouldn't hurt having a day off work. He hadn't practically had any rest since he came home from Ame, he already knew that it was going to be difficult to have a break once he took over.

"Yes mother"

"Good. Well, we have to go and get ready now, talk to you tomorrow" she smiled before collecting her not so happy husband, leaving only Naruko's parents on camera.

"Well, we have to go too, we will probably call you tomorrow, and we might even have to stay another night"

"Another night? What for?" Naruko exchanged a quick glance with Itachi, well, he didn't look annoyed from the news.

Fugaku and your father need to see Sabaku for some details regarding the deal they made, but don't worry, there's nothing to worry about, I'm sure you don't mind staying another night at the Uchiha's"

Kushina winked at her daughter, and Naruko blushed, making the Uchiha snicker as quietly as he could.

"M-mom!"

"What? I was a teenager too! I used to sneak out from my window to go and see your father"

The blonde raised an eyebrow at her mother, her cheeks burning, her mother chuckled and Naruko wondered how come Kushina was so calm about it, she never objected to her being with Itachi, she was overjoyed, and although she was happy her parents ( mostly her mother) approved her relationship with the Uchiha, it was rather weird how she never objected to anything like her father had.

"You're crazy!"

Kushina chuckled, then someone she didn't see said something to her and she nodded.

"Well, we have to go and get ready, the gala is in an hour"

"Ok, bye mom, say hi to dad, is he alright?" she asked because her father was simply staring not saying anything.

"Oh yes, don't worry about that he's fine"

"If you say so"

"Ok then, bye Naruko, and bye Itachi"

"Bye mom! Itachi says hi too!"

She waved, and by doing so, one of the straps fell off, revealing her shoulder completely, and she immediately disconnected the call with her mother.

Itachi, that in the mean time had stayed completely still, gulped with eyes wide. She wasn't wearing anything under the shirt, it was obvious, and apparently she didn't notice he had noticed.

He fixed the strap and she blushed, shying her eyes away from his. He chuckled, raising his hands to stroke her cheek, pulling her down for a heated kiss, his fingers tangling in her hair, the other hand keeping it's position on her thigh.

She leaned down more, her elbows prodded on his chest, she let out a soft moan at the feel of his tongue touching hers as they began a battle for dominance, he overpowered her easily, and she relished in the sensations he was causing within her body. Her head felt dizzy, and she suddenly felt very hot, as her hands grew more confident, and she repositioned herself in a way that she could touch him too, very aware of his hand travelling up her thigh, his fingers brushing on her bottom.

They eventually had to separate for air, and when she finally opened her eyes, she met Itachi's black orbs that were staring back at her, an intense expression, almost like hunger, in them. Just that look made her hot again and her skin flushed, when she realized her body was now completely pressed against his.

He grinned and reached up to kiss her forehead, and she stared at him with wide eyes as she tried to catch her breath. She had momentarily forgot that she needed air to survive. He was going to be the death of her if he kept that up, unaware that she was thinking the same.

"This shirt, it really suits you" he joked as he played with one of the straps, tangling it around his finger.

"Uh? This…this shirt?" she stuttered, exactly like Hinata, he was turning her into the Hyuga.

"Hn"

"What is that supposed to mean?" she questioned, it wasn't an answer, it was the typical Uchiha way to be annoying.

The raven haired man chuckled at her pout, and she blew her cheeks.

"It means that you look incredibly tempting, especially with my last name showing on your back. It pleases my over possessive and jealous side, when someone sees you with it. they'll know to stay away."

"Uh?" Itachi was jealous? He never did anything to show it, of course, he had never had a reason to

"You say it as if people hit on me constantly" she huffed rolling her eyes. She truly believed he had no reason to feel that way.

He sighed, she was so naïve, she had never realized her friend Gaara had feelings for her the same with that other guy, the one with the weird hair cut always dressed in green.

"You are so beautiful, you don't realize it do you?"

"You say that because you're my boyfriend"

"Hn"

"You're infuriating you know that?"

He suddenly wound his arms around her body, flipping them in a way that know he was in top, pinning her hands down, and a smirk on those beautiful lips.

"And you're too cute" he kissed the pout away from her lips knowing it irritated her when he told her she was cute.

"Disgusting, go in your own freaking room!"

Sasuke had meant to go in the kitchen, but immediately turned around to go back in the garden, not wanting to risk his poor eyes being damaged by such a sight. Seeing his brother and best friend in such intimate situations wasn't in his desires.

Itachi emerged from the couch, helping Naruko up, chuckling at her pink cheeks, his arm secured safely around her waist, in a need to touch her constantly.

"Damn teme!" she croaked, crossing her arms on her chest, she was glad though it hadn't been Menma to see them that way, he wouldn't say anything, but she would probably feel embarrassed around him for a while, just like he had been when she had caught him with Hinata once.

"Don't mind him…I could have some things to say about him and his girlfriend" he smirked…oh the joys of being an older brother, he could tease his brother for sneaking in the house with Sakura one day, thinking no one was home, and he caught them in the swimming pool, and he was sure they weren't simply swimming. He had promised to not tell their parents, but had made his brother disinfect the whole thing, obviously while he and Shisui were sitting down in the sunbeds watching, Sakura still blushed and wouldn't look at him in the eye. What a fun day that had been.

"Really? And you didn't tell me?"

Itachi sighed, and glanced at his watch.

"It's almost dinner time, we should probably think about ordering something, I don't think mother left much food for us to cook"

When he mentioned food her ears perked up immediately.

"Yes! We should go and order-"

"We are not getting Ramen again" he interrupted her with a sigh, and she looked at him with puppy eyes.

"But…Tachii!" she whined, and he raised an eyebrow at her, it was hard to resist, after all, he was almost sure she had the power in their relationships since he always gave in to her wishes. He loved spoiling her, and it was easy, since all she ever asked for was Ramen.

"No, it's not healthy to eat too much of that stuff"

"Don't get in between a woman and her ramen Itachi" she warned him, and he had to fight hard to keep his lips still, a and avoid them to turn upwards in a smile. She was just too funny, standing there all serious with her hands on her waist, and her eyes looking at him with determination.

"It's for your own good" he retorted and she scoffed.

"You know what would be good for my health? Ramen!"

His eyebrows both shot up hearing that. She could hold her ground, and he wasn't sure he could win that argument, luckily for him, the doorbell rang, and they both looked towards the door with a raised an eyebrow.

"Sasuke, were you waiting for someone?" Itachi yelled so that his brother could hear him from outside.

Sasuke and Menma appeared with a towel wrapped around them, their hair still trickling water.

"No, were you?"

Itachi shrugged, and went to the door, as soon as he opened it, he regretted it immediately, thinking about closing it on their faces, unfortunately he was too polite to do so.

"Hey Itachi! What are you doing? aren't you going to let us in?"

Deidara's loud voice made Sasuke wince, and Naruko walked behind Itachi to peek and see who it was. She didn't recognize them and raised a brow at her boyfriend's tprtured expression.

"Itachi, you should let them in, are they your friends?" she asked recognizing Shisui, and he sighed.

"Unfortunately" he moved out of the way, letting the group in.

"Hey cousin! We brought food, we hope you guys haven't eaten anything!" he walked in with a big pizza container on one hand, holding Hana's hand in the other, behind them was Kisame with other bags, and lastly an over enthusiastic Deidara pulling a bored Sasori behind him, with a big grin, stopping in front of the blonde girl that looked at him with a big smile.

"So you're Itachi's girlfriend?" he asked inspecting her, before smiling at the puzzled girl.

"Yes, It's me!" she pointed at herself with her thumb and a big wide grin, ignoring Itachi sighing behind her. Deidara and Naruko in the same room was bound for disaster, they were both hyperactive energetic blondes, actually they looked like they could have been brother and sister, he didn't know why, but that thought made him shiver, considering that one day he could be related to that freak.

"I like you! We are going to be great friends! I'm Deidara by the way, and that over there is my boyfriend Sasori, don't mind that expression, he's a great guy once you know him"

She looked at Sasori with a raised eyebrow, wondering if the guy knew how to smile at all, he was a total opposite of Deidara.

"I'm Naruko! I am so glad to finally meet you! Itachi has talked to me about you! Is it true you make clay creations and when you get tired of them you make them explode?" she asked excitedly, and the blond artist smirked pleased that she had asked about his art, and that Itachi had talked to her about him. It made him feel important.

"Sure! You know, art is a true explosion! that's the meaning of true art, a single moment of glory, a blast!"

"Wow! That sounds so cool! Will you show me one day?" Naruko said with admiration in her eyes.

"Of course! I'm always willing to show off my art!"

Naruko smiled happily and turned to Itachi that was busy greeting Hana.

"Hey Tachi! Deidara says he's going to show me how he blows up stuff!"

Itachi's left eye twitched, and he couldn't find anything that he could say that would make her change her mind.

"Damn, I really pity you!" Sasuke snickered, and Menma looked at the two blondes with wide eyes in admiration.

"He really makes things explode?"

Sasori hearing that, sighed approaching the two happy blondes, like Itachi, he was already exhausted seeing the two together chatting excitedly.

"He is insane, don't listen to him, art is something meant to survive time"

"Oh, that's a pretty good point of view too!"

"Stupid Sasori, always contradicting me in my moments of glory!"

"Mhh…you two are a couple right?" Sakura asked, hearing them bickering in front of a grinning Naruko.

"Yes, don't ask me how I stand him because I don't know" Sasori answered her, and Sakura smiled at that.

"Love, maybe?" she suggested, they did form a cute couple.

"Yeah…stupid feelings" the red head muttered, and Sakura sweat dropped, he was a weird guy.

"So, we brought food, where can we put it? Itachi is unresponsive and Sasuke disappeared" Hana asked the blonde, and Naruko battled her eyelashes.

"Hey Hana! How's Kiba?" Naruko asked taking the food, and leading the brown haired girl to the kitchen, as a perfect host.

"He's fine" she answered.

"That Sasori is weird" Sakura approached the two girls with Hinata behind her.

"I think he is pretty nice. He makes puppets as a hobby" the Hyuga heir informed them, making all three girls raise a brow at her.

"You actually talked to him?" Sakura couldn't believe it, Hinata was such a shy girl after all.

"Why is something wrong with that?" Hinata asked, and Naruko patted her on the back.

"Of course not, let's go and fix the food now, if we leave it up to the men they will get nothing done, Itachi, why don't you and the guys wait in here, when everything is ready we will call you"

The Uchiha raised a brow, feeling guilty making her do things in his house.

"Do you need help?" he felt he should ask at least.

"Don't worry" she waved him off, and left, and he gave a smug look at her back as she walked off.

Kisame went to stand next to Itachi, and nudged him in the ribs with a grin.

"Nice pretty girl you got yourself there, she is cute like a little newborn shark!"

The Uchiha frowned at that, he didn't know newborn sharks were known as cute, and had always considered Kisame like the most normal out of all of his friends, maybe he had to remember about his fish fetish before he could deem Hoshigaki normal.

"Thanks…I guess" he answered, and Shisui chuckling, wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"She will make a perfect Uchiha one day" he commented, and Itachi almost choked on his saliva at the statement.

"Look at her, she is moving around this house as if it was hers, entertaining your friends as if they were her own."

"Uchiha's aren't like that at all"

"That's why she's perfect. Completely different, she could bring some excitement to our boring family, I have high hopes for Sasuke's girlfriend too."

"What about Hana?" he teased, wanting to make his cousin have a taste of his own medicine.

"Hana will be the most Un-Uchiha like than all of them. The woman has got a nasty side to her, I love it! my mother is already alert, she's worried for my health! Can you believe that?" he snickered and Itachi chuckled at his friend and cousin.

"You're crazy, you know that?"

"Please, I haven't even reached Deidara's level of insanity!"

He couldn't disagree to that.

ooo8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"It went well, didn't it?"

They had all left, Sasuke and Menma were asleep already, much to Naruko's disappointment, and she and Itachi were still awake and stuck cleaning up the kitchen.

"Yes, it did" he answered with a smile and she smiled back as she rinsed a plate, handing it to him to dry.

"I don't know why you didn't want me to meet them yet"

"It's not that I didn't want to, I was afraid they might scare you offl, they're crazy!" he admitted, it was a poor excuse, but with Deidara's particular personality and Shisui's habit of talking too much he was concerned about her judging them.

"Please, you met some of my friends, they are worst, believe me. You have good friends"

"So do you"

She smiled proudly, and leaned her hands on the sink, as an idea came to her mind.

"Tomorrow night!"

"What about tomorrow night?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"You are going to come and meet my friends! At Shikamaru's you have to meet him, and the others!"

"I already know some of them" he reminded her, but he was happy she wanted him to meet them, and if that was her desires he would happily comply.

"Yes, but not all of them! And they don't know you as my boyfriend!"

"So you want to make it official" he asked, and she nodded, resting one hand on her hip.

"We have been together for almost three weeks, soon we will hit the first month mark, I think it's about time they know" she grimaced as she thought about telling them, they would probably be pissed she didn't tell them earlier.

"I agree." He kissed her on the nose and she smiled.

"And we have a double date with Deidara and Sasori on Saturday, well actually it's a triple one, Shisui invited himself and Hana too" she said as she rested a finger on her lips in thought.

Itachi frowned, that was news for him.

"Where was I when you decided that?"

"Hmm, I think you were arguing with Kisame about sushi. Really Itachi, who argues about that? I thinks he needs a girlfriend"

He chuckled, he and Kisame had started arguing when the man, had stated that sushi should be declared illegal for cruelty.

Itachi had observed the fish were already dead when it was prepared, so it couldn't be considered cruelty. They had argued about that for half an hour, much to everyone's enjoyment. Even Sasori had smiled at the silly argument, just that should be considered an achievement.

"Yeah, he is getting worse" he admitted. Kisame already worked in an aquarium, maybe he should find a hobby that had nothing to do with sealife.

"Well, I'm done here! We can finally go to bed!" she declared tiredly, cleaning the sink and throwing the sponge in its place with a yawn.

"Let's go, I don't have to go work tomorrow thanks to you, maybe I can sleep in a little bit" he ruffled her hair, as she grabbed his arm, and both headed upstairs.

"Of course! And when you wake up you can come with me at Kakashi's and see me train!"

"Yes, I think I wouldn't mind, I have some plans for the afternoon though"

"Uh? Really?" she asked with a frown, wondering what it was.

"You have to go with Deidara, Sakura and Hana shopping tomorrow don't you?"

She gasped smacking her hand on her forehead, she had forgot about that. They were supposed to go and find a dress for Naruko. Sunday night there was Madara's retirement party, and Itachi becoming Ceo would be announced, it was an important evening, and Sakura and Deidara had teamed up declaring she needed to dress up for such an important event, especially because it was going to be the first time she would be presented as his girlfriend.

"Damn it! I don't really want to go!"

"Well, if you get done early, you can always meet me, I would like for you to come with me"

"What are you doing?"

"I think it's time for me to find my own place, I was thinking about going to check out some apartments"

He checked her face to see her reaction, and she raised her eyes meeting his dark ones.

"You want to move out? Have you told your parents?"

"Not yet, I barely had the time to go and check some places, I will take advantage of my forced vacation, and when they come back I will tell them"

He stopped in front of the room where she was supposed to sleep, his mother had prepared the guest room for her, while Menma was sleeping in Sasuke's.

Mikoto had even told Itachi to make sure she slept in there and not with him, telling him she did want grandchildren, but not right in that moment.

It had embarrassed him greatly to hear his mother warn him about sex as if he was a teenager. Not that his mother's worries would stop him if he was sure Naruko wanted it as much as he did.

"Well, here we are"

"Do I really have to stay there?" she couldn't hide that she wanted to stay with him, and sleep in his arms.

Lately, she too had started to feel the need for something more, but she didn't really know what. She was inexperienced and didn't really know how to act. She wasn't sure about a lot of things, but every time she tried to reach out to her mother, she would get too embarrassed and discouraged. She didn't know if it was too early for her and Itachi to discuss about it, or if they even needed too. She had heard once that these things came naturally, that you hust needed to follow your body's instinct, but she didn't know if it was true. She had never worried about it for seventeen years, and now suddenly she was. She was scared and nervous.

"You want to sleep in my room?" he asked, making sure he specified the word sleep. He didn't want her to think he was a pervert.

She didn't look at him, too shy, which was what made Itachi question if it was the right choice.

He opened the door, and they walked in, hand in hand, a weird tension between them, as she inspected the room, that was just as she remembered.

"Naruko, you're sure you want to stay here?" he asked, stroking her cheek to reassure her.

"Yes, don't you want me here?"

He took a deep breath. Maybe it was time to have a small talk.

"You have no idea how much I want you, Naruko, or what I would like to do to you"

Her cheeks heated up at hearing those words with that seductive voice of his, she felt hot and her throat went dry, and a weird feeling built up in her lower belly.

"But, I don't think you're ready for that yet. I am in no hurry, I love you, and I don't want you doing anything that goes against your will. We can just sleep tonight."

She nodded, maybe it was for the best, she would be able to stay with Itachi at least.

"I love you too" she kissed him sweetly and then with a big smile, went to his closet to find something to wear for the night. She loved wearing his clothes, they made her feel closer to him. It was weird.

She fished out a simple black t shirt with a Uchiha fan on the back, and he raised an eyebrow at her, while he let his hair loose, already in bed. He didn't have to change much, he slept without a shirt anyway.

She turned and blushed seeing his pale skin so exposed, she had never seen him without anything, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach again, and she swallowed wishing to run her fingers through his dark locks, and to touch that soft skin.

"I…need to change" she admitted feeling shy, and he turned his head.

"I won't look, or you can go in the bathroom if you feel-"

He heard clothes shuffling and in less than a minute she sat next to him, getting under the covers, next to him. The tension was still there, and he was sure it would stay for a while.

They both laid down and she snuggled close to him, and he wrapped his arms around her body.

"I messed up the sheets of the guest room bed, so in case Sasuke and Menma go in there they will think I slept there"

"You had planned this then" he asked, his voice amused, and she nodded, she felt better now, it was dark and he couldn't see her face clearly.

"Of course I did! I wouldn't have been able to sleep knowing you were just a door away" she admitted and he chuckled kissing her on the crown of her head. He wasn't sure if he would be able to sleep that night, with her hot body close to his, but he was glad she was there.

"Goodnight Naru" he kissed her nose, and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. Her hair tickled his nose a bit.

"Goodnight Tachi, I love you" she mumbled sleepily, and he grinned, pulling her closer, tightening his grip on her.

"And I you, you don't know how much"


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, things would be slightly different if I did.

Chapter 25

Itachi woke up, his eyes adjusting to the dim light that came from his shutters, that had stayed slightly open letting some sunrays in, illuminating the room, and the blonde girl cuddled against him, her body was nestled against his, one of her arms around his waist and the other under her head, fist closed tightly, and her legs were tangled with his under the covers, her shirt was lifted on the side showing the bronzed skin and a perfect hipbone.

Her face was relaxed in her sleep, her loose hair covering half of it, and her mouth open with a faint trail of drool on the angle, that made him smile tenderly. She was so peaceful, he almost felt bad at the thought of waking her up. He combed his fingers through his own long locks, trying to detangle them somehow. Sometimes he wondered if it wouldn't be easier to just cut them, but he loved his long hair too much to actually do it.

Itachi gave the girl a look, she was beautiful and even more tempting in that position, it had been hard for him to fall asleep with her so close, he had spent a good half an hour trying to convince his body to relax, and it had been a hard task. He had managed to fall in a slumber, lulled by her soft snores slowly relaxing him to sleep.

He tried to slip out, softly, but her hand reached for his arm, taking a hold of his it, and he heard her groan softly.

He reached over, to check if she was awake, and raised an eyebrow at her eyes still shut tightly, studying her face. It hadn't changed much, but if possible her expression looked rather annoyed even in slumber, he grinned, shaking his head as he tried to move again, trying gently to detach her small hand from him, but the result was another annoyed grunt, and she finally opened her eyes, revealing the hazy azure orbs, that almost looked dark as his in the dim light.

"Ne Tachi…it's hard to sleep when you're trying to sneak out"

He chuckled, turning to meet her eyes, they were stunningly deep, and always managed to draw them in and make him lose himself in them.

"I didn't want to wake you, I am a morning person" he reassured her stroking her warm cheek with the tip of his fingers.

She groaned, snuggling on his side comfortably looking up at him with a frown.

"You know you don't have to go to work, you can sleep in a little bit" she protested, tugging on his arm, and he raised an eyebrow. It always surprised him how comfortable they were around each other. He didn't like to compare his relationship with Naruko with the one he once had with Izumi, but he couldn't avoid remembering how shy they had been around each other, almost awkward, even when they had become more intimate Izumi never clinged to him so freely, always limiting her touches, and it almost felt forceful those rare times she did do it, not that he was any better, he had always hated physical contact unless it was necessary, so he was sure that was the reason Izumi was never comfortable around him.

Naruko though, she was completely different. Once she had got over her initial shyness around him, she had started to act more relaxed and that implied that she felt free to do what she wanted, touch him, when she felt like it, not minding his initial reaction, and slowly he had got used to her affectionate ways, and craved them when they were together, and slowly, he had started to reciprocate her actions, seeing how happy it made her, he wouldn't deny her or himself the pleasure. That was it after all, being with someone it implied you let go of your inhibitions and be yourself around that person and that was how it was between them. It was special, and he would do anything in his power to preserve it.

"I know, I am simply incapable of staying in bed once I'm awake" he explained with a soft smile, studying her still sleepy face, he couldn't believe someone as energetic as her would be hard to wake. He just assumed she would jump on her feet and start running around the house.

"But it's early! The sun is not even out yet!" she protested, lips in a pretty pout, that made him laugh softly, and roll his eyes at her tentatively trying to gain some more sleep time.

"Naru, the shutters are closed" he pointed towards the window, where only some rays of light managed to brrak through them.

"Uh? What time is it?" she asked, raiding the room in search of something that could give her the answer she was looking for, she found it on his bedside table on his side, and read the red glowing numbers on it, proving that it wasn't as early as she thought.

"seven o clock?" she muttered, and rubbed her face on the pillow with a groan. It was an ungodly time to be awake.

Itachi raised a brow at her, trying not to chuckle at her reaction, his hand sneaking between her shoulder blades, l massaging her skin above the fabric, exactly where the Uchiha fan was displayed proudly, and he drawed the design with his fingers, feeling a surge of his possessive side, she looked good with the symbol of his family on her back, it made it so everyone knew she was his. Maybe he would gift the shirt to her and make her wear it when she wasn't with him, everyone knew that she wasn't an Uchiha, so her wearing it would only imply she was in a relationship with one, and anyone would know to stay away. Uchiha's were a powerful family no one wanted to cross one of them, and, it was very large on her, hiding her perfect body, it was a win win situation for him.

"Hn, you know you have to go and train at Kakashi's at eight, that doesn't give us much time, his place is further away from here than it is from your house. And we still have to eat breakfast and-"

"Kakashi sensei is always late anyways" she whined, her gaze raising to meet his, she was relaxing under his touch, was he trying to put her back to sleep? Plus, his touch was giving her weird feelings to her body.

"I know he his, but if we get there in time we can rub it in his face"

"As if he cares…"

"I will get you ramen before going to your friend's house tonight and won't judge when you will try an mix it with pizza" he smirked knowing well that she couldn't refuse. And he was proved right, when she sat up, completely awake staring at him with blue eyes wide.

"Really?" she knew he despised her food experiments.

"A promise is a promise"

"All right, let me get my stuff, I have to change and…" she frowned reminding that her bag with her clothes was in the other room.

"You can keep the shirt if you want" he offered, his earlier thoughts coming back in full force, and she raised her head from the pillow and raised an eyebrow at him.

"This one or the other one?"

"The other one?" he asked giving her a confused glare.

"The one I was wearing yesterday, I like it better than this one…but this one is so comfortable…" she mused, sitting up on the bed, meeting Itachi's eyes that were studying her with a raised eyebrow, he was really good at keeping that look for so long.

"I thought I already told you you can keep that one too"

"I will just keep them both then" she decided getting up, tying her hair with a hair band she found on the bedside table and surely belonged to Itachi.

"I am going to steal half your wardrobe if I keep this up"

"I'm lucky my pants don't fit you then"

"We don't know that yet!" she grinned, she loved men's clothes, especially sport wear, and Itachi just had her same taste in that section, plus she liked the idea that they were his.

The Uchiha had a puzzled expression that tried to cover his worry that she wasn't kidding when she had joked about stealing all his clothes, she was slowly appropriating herself of his stuff anyway.

"Actually I saw a nice pair of blue shorts-" she started, and he shook his head, pulling her towards him, leaving a small kiss on her neck.

"No, I am overly attached to those shorts"

She turned her lips downwards in a small frown, resting her hands on her waist, as Itachi's held onto her back, his expression amused, and lips tilting upwards as he took in her sulky expression.

"They're just shorts" she muttered with a frown, that made him chuckle lowly, but he didn't budge.

"Sorry, I am possessive with the things I deem mine" he smirked, sure that she wouldn't catch the true meaning of his words.

"You had no problem in giving me not one but two of your precious shirts"

"Hn"

"Bastard" she muttered, breaking free from his hold, and fixing her new shirt, it looked huge on her, it almost covered her orange shorts, that were barely visible. Maybe she should tie it to her waist like the other, she mused as she looked at herself on the mirror, but instead she opted in leaving it like that. It was more comfortable, and she didn't feel like messing with it.

He smirked at that following her with his black lustful eyes. She was so tempting, he actually had to look away, and calm himself again, luckily the booming voices of Sasuke and Menma walking down the stairs and fighting about something was a good enough distraction.

"They will burn down the kitchen if they attempt to do something"

he sighed, already knowing that Sasuke couldn't cook, since his mother had never bothered in teaching them cause according to the Uchiha way of thinking, men didn't need to learn. Luckily he had learnt in college, he had to if he didn't want to starve to death, but his brother…he had once walked in when he was trying to make himself something, and he was glad he had prevented an oven implosion.

"Yeah…Menma can't cook to save his life, mom tried teaching him, it was a disaster. Dad lost his favorite pan that day"

"Better go and save my mother's then, she's rather fond of her kitchen appliances"

Naruko grinned at that, watching with a hint of displeasure as he covered his upper perfect body with a shirt similar to hers, but it fitted more snug on his body, barely hiding the muscles of his torso.

She shook her head, getting out of her daze, and grabbed his hand as soon as he finished with his hair.

"Let's go to the rescue then!" she shouted, pulling him behind her, and both rushing to the kitchen, to stop the incoming slaughter of food and pans by hand of both of their brother's.

"Stop whatever you're doing!" She burst the door open, pointing her finger at both teens, but it fell as soon as she caught a glimpse of the two barely awake and slumped over the counter.

Itachi behind her gave a stern look at the two, he had already assumed it was going to be his responsibility to feed everyone, and he didn't care how unusual that was for an Uchiha.

"What the hell is wrong with you dobe? " Sasuke sounded like the devil, his voice low and deadly, and Menma simply left out a groan at that, too tired to speak or say something coherent.

"Damn teme! I thought you were thinking about messing up the kitchen, we just wanted to avoid you burning the house down, since your knowledge of food preparation is less than zero!"

Itachi sighed, and deciding it was wiser to ignore them then trying to make them stop, slipped behind the blonde, and started to make fulfill his duties, and since he was the self proclaimed cook for that morning, started to prepare breakfast in his quiet and overly precise ways.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Menma and Sasuke had spent the morning getting bored on the couch, so, after lunch, deciding they both had enough of staying in the house, and since the girls were busy, and Itachi was roaming somewhere, had decided to go to Shikamaru's who had sort of become a recluse since his girlfriend had left for Suna.

All three of them, were now spread in the Nara's bedroom, since his mother was downstairs cleaning, and they didn't want to be in the way. Especially because she was a scary woman.

They had just finished a game of GTA but were too lazy to keep up with the game so they just laid there, not knowing what to do with themselves.

"So, what do you guys think we should do tonight, Kiba said something about bringing a date"

Menma announced, reading the message the Inuzuka had sent him. Sasuke huffed hearing that, already imagining an overly enthusiastic Kiba showing off his girl to everyone, especially to the still single guys, that, now that he thought about had decreased. They were all mostly dating or, in his case in a serious relationship

"What a drag…he will probably rub it in everyone's face too, since we all told him he would stay forever alone"

"Hn" Apparently he and Shikamaru had the same thought in mind.

"He said he is bringing a horror movie with him, ugh…Hinata hates them" Menma sighed, knowing she would more likely spend most of the evening hiding behind his back, or simply closing her eyes, cause she was too shy to touch him in public.

"Doesn't Naruko hate them too? she's terrified of ghosts" the Nara smirked at the memory of the pale Namikaze after seeing The exorcist.

"I wouldn't worry about her, she is forcing Itachi to come with her tonight, she can grab his arm or something if she's too scared, plus we have to check everyone else is ok with it" Sasuke replied in a very matter of factly way. He wasn't worried about Sakura, she wasn't afraid of anything, they had watched Saw together and she didn't flinch once, she actually managed to look bored. No wonder she wanted to become a doctor if she could stomach that.

"Itachi is coming?" Menma questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"He told us this morning, weren't you listening?"

"Wait a sec!" the black haired Namikaze grabbed Sasuke's wrist, and the Nara's eyes widened catching what Menma was thinking.

"Wait a minute, Itachi is coming and the others still don't know Naruko is dating him."

"I would assume Sai knows about it, Yamanaka surely told him, she can't keep such things to herself" Sasuke observed, still he couldn't understand the other's worried expressions. Was he missing something.

"Lee doesn't know" Shikamaru said, his face resigned. That evening was going to be hell. He knew it.

"And he has a crush on her, a really big intense one too"

Menma continued and Sasuke slapped a hand on his face in a facepalm.

"Stiill? I thought he was over her…" the black haired Uchiha muttered, he was allergic to drama, even if he, and he wasn't sure how, was almost always caught in the middle, or the main cause for it.

"Well… Once he's obsessed with something, there's no way in hell he would let it go. He went with that weird Guy sensei out of town for the last two weeks for some sort of intense training program, that's why he wasn't around. He wants to win the Suna championship to prove Naruko he is the best"

Shikamaru explained, he had known from Neji, who was supposed to go too, but had declined because of an injury, and had stayed home, where Tenten was nursing him back to health, the poor thing.

"Still, he could never beat Itachi" Sasuke proudly retorted, the Nara simply shrugged, he knew that the older Uchiha was someone you didn't want to cross. He had a deep respect for the man, and not just because of Naruko, but he had heard great things about him from his father and his teacher Asuma before he died.

"So, do you think we should tell him?" Menma suggested, he wanted to avoid a big scene in front of everyone, Knowing Lee, he would probably challenge Itachi and he didn't want the over energetic teen to suffer the humiliation. Itachi was a too strong opponent for him, he knew he had been a martial arts champion, although he was sure Itachi would never accept such a challenge since he at least, unlike Sasuke, had morals, then knowing his sister, she was likely to get involved and that would cause an even bigger chaos. She wasn't the type to sit in the background and let someone else deal with her problems.

"Well, we should probably tell him, to avoid the carnage at least" Sasuke confirmed with annoyance in his voice.

"You guys are aware Lee is an emotional wreck when it comes to these things, you remember what happened the other time, when he was rejected by that mystery girl, he was depressed for weeks, I am sure it will be fine. We are putting too much thought into this" Shikamaru calmly stated. It was such a troublesome matter, he just hoped he was right.

"I will call Hyuga, he owes me a favor, and Lee is his best friend. He can tell him" Menma picked up the phone, dreading every second, he hated having to ask something from Neji, but he did owe him.

"Why don't we just ask Yamanaka to handle this?,she is an expert in dealing with broken hearted people, and she's always minding other people's business, this will be a field day for her" Sasuke offered, and Shikamaru shrugged.

"What a drag…just call everyone, the more the better"

"This will turn out like an intervention type of thing!" Sasuke grumbled, he could care less of Lee's feelings, if he couldn't accept defeat it meant he was weak.

Shikamaru sighed, and Menma stepped back into the room.

"Neji is coming over with Tenten and Hinata, he will call Lee from here"

Sasuke grunted, and the Nara sighed again,

"I better go and tell my mother it's going to get crowded around here"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi looked around the huge living room, that had an incredible view on Konoha.

"So, is this the one?" Shisui asked from the sofa, he was bored and sick of roaming all over town. He had left work early to accompany Itachi and help him seek a new place, they had looked at four different apartments, they were almost all the same, same number of rooms, almost same price, and all well furnished, Shisui really couldn't understand what Itachi was actually looking for. He and the agent had the same resigned look, the elderly man looking rather preoccupied at the Uchiha's silent inspection of the place.

"Hn" Itachi gave another look around.

"It's in a good position, you would be closer to town, and your parent's neighborhood is closer than the other places, and so is the Company, you could wake up ten minutes later" The agent nodded at Shisui, and approached Itachi fixing his glasses nervously.

"How far is Konoha's campus from here?" he asked in a casual voice, Shisui raising his brow at the question and the agent reading something on the paper.

"Oh…well it's pretty close, ten minutes by foot to reach the main building." He explained, as he pointed towards the left, where the campus was supposed to be.

"Good, I will get this one, then"

The man nodded at Itachi's words, and scrambled through some papers he was holding, wishing to get the deal done with in the shortest time possible.

Shisui's eyes widened and jumped up from the sofa with a wide big grin plastered on his face, which irritated Itachi, that already knew what he was going to say.

"So, are you thinking about going back to college, I am pretty surprised you would want to go and live in so close to Campus" he stepped closer to his cousin, ignoring the agent.

"I liked this place, is there a problem?"

The brown haired man sighed, putting his hands in his pockets and a big sheepish grin on his face.

"I know you better than that, you are always a step ahead of everyone, calculating and predicting stuff, you know Naruko will be going to college here in Konoha next year, so you get a place close to it, so she can have a place to stay whenever she needs it, and eventually, one day, you will ask her to move in"

"Hn, you surprise me, how could you figure that out with so little information" he mocked sarcastically and his cousin glared at him.

"So I'm right? I'm surprised you're so serious about it. Your relationship is still very…how can I say it…young? you're still in honeymoon phase, everything is perfect at first, shouldn't you wait to make such a big step?"

"I am not asking her to move in with me today. In a year she will start college, it doesn't mean I will force her to come and stay with me. She might want to stay with her parents, or share a dorm with her friend, I want her to live her college experience just like she wishes, I don't want to be the one to stop her from achieving her dreams. I will be there to support her all the way"

Shisui stared in amazement, and looked at the man next to him, feeling as if he was looking at someone else. Itachi had really grown up, and the warmth that radiated from his black eyes, and that he was trying to hide, made the brown haired man realize, how deep his feelings for Naruko were. He also knew Itachi wasn't the type to express his feelings with words, he always let his actions speak for him, something Izumi had never understood.

A phone ringing broke the silence, and Shisui fished it from his pocket and smiled as he read the name on the screen , Itachi shook his head with a slight grin as he looked as his cousin instructed Hana on how to get there, and Itachi grew more impatient to show everything to his blonde.

It didn't take long, as Shisui had said, and soon, Naruko's cheery and loud voice could be heard from the stairway and Itachi smiled at himself, as his cousin opened the door, and Naruko bounced in with a smile, followed by an exhausted looking Hana.

"Itachi this place is awesome! The elevator looked so cool! But I was just too excited to wait for it so I just took the stairs" she got on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek with a slight blush on her cheeks, and he turned his head, to kiss her fully on the lips, causing her blush to spread to her whole face, aware that there were people watching them.

"Hello to you too" he smiled and ruffled her blonde hair, and she grinned at him, her attention caught by the big windows, and she gasped as she took in the beautiful view.

"You can see all Konoha from here! Look Mount Hokage! And that's Uchiha Corp! you can see everything from here!"

"Yes, this apartment really has some good qualities" he agreed, but he was looking at her, his eyes studying every line of her happy face

"You should really take this one, I don't think you can find something better than this! Am I right old man?" she asked the agent that frowned at her way of adressing him, making Shisui chuckle, and Hana coughed trying to muffle her laughter.

"Actually Naruko" he paused, sending the agent an apologetic look, "I already signed."

"You mean it's already yours?"

"Well not officially yet but-"

"I love it! We should definitely put the couch over there and the tv on that wall! One of those big ass ones, like Sasuke has in his room and will eventually make him go blind!"

She stopped covering her mouth with her hands as she realized what she had said, and Itachi looked down at her, winding his hands around her shoulders.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry…I know it's your place you should really decide where to put stuff…"

"Naruko…I wouldn't have asked you to come here if I didn't want your help. I think a feminine touch could improve this place."

Hana cleared her throat, and the two looked in their direction, and Shisui grinned so widely that it made him look weird.

"we are going to get some coffee, I really need a big cup of it after an afternoon with two crazy blondes"

Hana excused herself, dragging a still grinning Shisui behind her, leaving them some privacy, calling the agent with them with an excuse, asking him if there were some other free apartments in the building.

Itachi watched them leave with a raised eyebrow, and Naruko sighed, her fingers tracing the glass.

"Feminine touch? Have you seen my room? It looks like a boys room with Star wars poster, playstation and videogames all over, and I even have a Super Mario duvet"

"A Super Mario duvet? I have to see that, and I didn't know you were a Star wars fan, a part from your phone's ring tone"

"I'm not. The posters were Menma's, we used to share the room when we were younger and I kept them when he moved to his new room. I grew used to them, and the ringtone is just to infuriate him. He hates it."

"Brotherly revenge, I know something about it" he chuckled and Naruko nodded.

"You know, he insisted that my parents made him a separate bedroom because he said people were starting to say we were identical, I used to wear my hair in a pixie cut and dress like a boy, and we did look identical. Our parents ignored his request at first, thinking we could deal for a couple of years so, he and Sasuke stole some hair dye from some relative and dyed his hair black. I still remember my parent's faces when he came home. He was grounded for weeks. He still dies it to keep his point though, even if my mother hates it"

"I thought he was naturally black haired" Itachi observed, since he remembered he had always seen Menma with black hair. He must have been pretty young when he did it. He was surprised Sasuke had never told him.

"Nah, sometimes I think that if he could've, he would have dyed his hair blue or green, just to cause more chaos."

Itachi chuckled at that, sounded just like Sasuke.

"So, forgetting about our idiotic brothers, do you want to see the rest of the apartment?"

"Of course!"

They toured the place and Naruko grew even more excited about the place, especially once she saw the beautiful modern bathroom with the huge bath tub.

"I can't believe you will live here" they were once again in front of the window, she just couldn't help, it was the her favorite spot.

"You know, I forgot to tell you the best part" he was behind her and she leaned into his chest with her back.

"Really?" she questioned, what could be better than what he had already showed her?

"You can't see it from here, but Konoha's campus is close by. The agent said it's only ten minutes by foot"

Naruko's eyes widened and she turned meeting Itachi's eyes, they were staring back at her and it made her feel warm to see the love in them, hoping he could see the same in hers.

"You mean that I…"

"I don't mean to force you to do anything you don't feel up to Naruko, but, I want you to know that you can come and stay here, whenever you feel ready, after you finish high school, or your second or third year, after graduation whenever you feel ready this will be your house too. I am not fooling around, I am serious about this, about us"

She breathed, and felt her heart race at his words and at the way he was looking at her. She read so much love in those eyes, that all her insecurities vanished with his words. She loved him, she didn't care it was so little they were together, he parents had fallen in love at first sight and married a few months after they met and they were still going strong.

"I love you!" she threw herself at him, winding her hands around her neck kissing him hard, and he caught her, resting his hands under her thighs to keep her up, as her legs crossed at his waist. He tried to remind himself that there were people waiting for them downstairs and that it wasn't the appropriate time for having such naughty thoughts, butbshe was so beautiful and her heated body against his didn't help. He focused on something else, concentrating on her words, and a small part of his mind thought how long could he resist.

"I love you too" he whispered back, once they separated for air, and she grinned at that, stroking his cheek, unaware of his thoughts, and trying to hide the hers as well.

"So, I can help you choose the furniture?" she asked, eyeing the couch in the corner, it was old looking, and she really wanted to see it gone, and it offered a good distraction.

"Sure, but no orange" he smirked, waiting for her to protest about it, how he loved to tease her, it was incredibly easy.

"What? But it's like the best color in the world!" she whined, and he simply shook his head and let out a relaxed chuckle at her visible pout, kissing her on the tip of the nose.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Shikamaru sighed as he eyed the black haired teen clad in hs green suit moping on the sofa against a helpless Menma, that was uselessly trying to free himself. Hinata sat close by and looked at him with slight worry. She knew he had a bit of a temper and knew she was the only one who had a soothing effect on her black haired boyfriend.

"Lee, I know it didn't go as you wanted, but there are plenty of girls out there, Naruko wasn't the right one probably" Tenten tried to reassure him, and Neji nodded in approval.

"It wasn't meant to be, it was fate she met Itachi first"

"Hyuga, would you cut off the fate shit?"

"Why should he? It has more sense than whatever you said to comfort him" Sai said from the carpet where he was finishing up a picture he made for Ino, and trying to be useful, just like his girlfriend had instructed him to be.

"Because you are the most sensitive person in here" Menma muttered rolling his eyes in annoyance, drawing a small chuckle from Hinata.

"Yeah Sai, you were the one to tell him that he should change haircut if he wants to have a girlfriend"

Neji narrowed his eyes at the artist and Tenten slapped a hand on her forehead, she hadn't been there when it happened, but Neji was, so she was surprised to see the black haired teen in full health.

"I was only offering him comfort, not like Uchiha"

Sasuke had taken advantage of Sakura's arrival and had closed himself in the kitchen, he already knew he wasn't good at helping people in a depressed state, especially when said depressed person had said Uchiha's were great, and that he wanted to learn their secrets, Sasuke had ecplised himself and no one had felt like bothering him, for he was also keeping Sakura from raging against Lee.

"One hell of one" Shikamaru muttered, and raised his head as he heard his front door opening revealing Kiba and Choji.

"So, we brought Ice cream, lots of ice cream" the chubby boy exclaimed happily showing the boxes, and aligning then on the dining table

"And whipped cream! Ino said to get lots of it" Kiba added showing two cans.

"You guys know Naruko and Itachi will be here soon, right?"

Sasuke had reappeared leaning on the door he looked at them with a frown, and Shikamaru stretched as he got up.

"What you want us to do? He won't let go of Menma's arm, he says he smell like Naruko"

"He's that desperate?"

"Uchiha…" Neji growled dangerously, Sasuke answered by rolling his eyes, unfazed by the Hyuga.

"Where is that idiot?" Sakura walked into the room, her fists closed and terrifying as she walked up to Lee and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"You have to snap out of it!" she slapped him twice ignoring the protests of Neji and Menma looking at her with eyes wide in terror.

"Sakura" Lee looked at her with teary eyes and she sighed throwing him down on the sofa again

"pick yourself up, just like you did when I rejected you"

Everyone gasped, and Hinata took pity on the boy. She knew what it felt like to have a crush on someone, it had turned out well for her though, but she could only imagine how it hurt.

"Wait a second, you mean both girls Lee went after ended up with Uchiha's?" Kiba snickered, and Shino nudged him with his elbow in his stomach warning him to shut his mouth.

"He didn't confess to Naruko at least" Sai shrugged, and Neji scoffed at that.

"I wasn't with Sasuke when he confessed to me"

"I didn't know anything about that" the Uchiha admitted a bit baffled by the news.

Someone banged at the door, and as soon as the Nara opened, another man, clad in a green track suit similar to the one that Lee was wearing, even his hair was styled in the same way.

"Lee! don't worry, your Guy sensei is here to lift you up!"

"Guy sensei!" he blubbered, his eyes shining as he looked at the older man.

"Lee! You shouldn't sit there moping! haven't I taught you anything? The power of youth will give the strength to achieve anything! Winter still hasn't fallen on love! you're in the early spring of youth my dear pupil!"

"What is he even saying?" Sasuke whispered at Sakura who was just looking as confused as the rest of them.

"It's supposed to be an encouragement, at least I think so"

The Uchiha looked behind him, trying to spot the person that had spoken.

"Kakashi? What are you doing here?" he raised an eyebrow at the grey haired masked man, who was leaning on the door, reading a small book, that looked worn out.

"Still reading that thing?" he asked, as he read the title, sweat dropping.

"It's a new one." He specified, "And I'm here because I took him here, he said it was an emergency"

"How in the world do you know that freak?"

Kakashi raised his head, focusing his only visible eye on the black haired teen, that raised his eyebrow in answer.

"That person you called freak is my best friend, and has been for years, so, I would suggest you apologize"

Sasuke though wasn't one to be intimidated, and ignored the older man, to focus back his attention on Lee and his weird sensei.

"You are right Guy sensei! The power of youth!"

"Yeah! Come on Lee, let's go for a little evening run around the neighborhood!"

"Yes Guy sensei!"

The two ran out the door, and Kakashi sighed, as he put his book down.

"I am not running around like that, I will wait for them in the car, hey Naruko, Itachi"

"What is going on in here?" the loud voice of Naruko came from the door, and everyone turned to look at her. She and Itachi were by the door, he had a raised eyebrow and his hands in his pockets, and Naruko was holding onto his arm.

"Kakashi sensei what are you even doing here?" She asked, looking at her sensei, and the older Uchiha looked just as puzzled.

"Well, Yamato is patrolling around the city, so I was just passing by, and…oh look how late it is! Better go, well it was nice seeing you two"

He rushed out the door, and the two looked at each other in confusion.

"That was unusual for him"

"Yes, it was."

"We don't want to know do we"

"Nope"

The two nodded at each other, and Naruko let out a breath and smiled at her friends.

"Hey everyone! I know most of you know Itachi, but he's here because…well he's my boyfriend, and I wanted you guys to meet him" she smiled and Itachi wound his arms around her waist pulling her closer.

"We knew, but it's nice to meet you Itachi" Sai was the first to speak, and Naruko gave him a worried look. Who knows what would come out of that mouth.

"I am still surprised that you found her attractive enough to date her, are you sure that everything is working right down there?"

Itachi blinked two or three times at the boy, that was smiling happiky as if he hadn't said anything wrong.

Menma slapped his hand on his forehead and Sasuke couldn't hold in his giggles while the others except for Ino looked horrified.

"Sai-" Naruko wanted to strangle the rude boy, her face red for the question.

"I appreciate your concern, everything is in check" he raised his thumb at the boy.

"Well if you're sure about that-"

"Itachi why don't you sit down here on the couch, dinner will be here soon, and Kiba is bringing is girlfriend and a movie"

"Oh no! it's not a horror movie again!" Naruko blanched and Itachi pulled her closer.

"Are you scared?"

"Yes, I hate those stupid movies" she pouted at him and he smiled kindly pulling a strand of hair away from her face.

"I am here, you don't need to be afraid"

She nodded at that, feeling better already. That evening was going to be perfect, she had everything she wanted. Her friends and Itachi.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Shisui groaned as he went through some papers in his home study, it was Saturday morning and he would have preferred to sleep in rather than doing work related stuff, but it was important, because he had noticed some strange movements around the company, and Obito's sudden departure made him suspicious, especially because he was aiming at becoming president although that position would never be his, since everyone knew Madara preferred Itachi in that position, once Fugaku retired, and Sasuke would join the company, than the two brothers would be at the head of the business, and Obito never concealed his dislike for the future arrangement.

Madara had shrugged off his resignations, the only thing he had said was that it was time he grew some balls, showing that he wasn't worried about Akatsuki, which was growing fastly, and Shisui couldn't understand how they could finance their projects, that were giving them tough competition in a field that had been their prime for years.

Shisui was sure they were been financed by someone who had interest in tearing Uchiha apart, and they were probably using Obito, knowing that he would be willing in spilling their secrets and probably even steal their projects before they could put them in the market.

He couldn't understand the reason though, Akatsuki was ran by Itachi's friends, Yahiko had even asked his cousin to accept a high position there, it was weird, and he wondered if the young founder of the company was aware of what was happening or if it was someone else pulling the strings from behind, using the young businessman. Itachi had already tried and get in contact with Yahiko, but with no success.

The phone rang, and he answered almost immediately with a big sigh.

'I hate you' he heard Itachi's chuckling, and he frowned at the younger man, although he knew he couldn't obviously see him.

'Did you find something?' Itachi ignored him, and went straight to the point.

'No, no evidence, nada absolutely nothing! I have neen studying the same documents for hours and came up with nothing, Akatsuki apparently doesn't specify where they get the money, there is no official list of the people working for them or with them, no payments, and the lab data is off limits'

'Hn, it's kind of weird, those kind of information should be registered and public'

He rubbed his eyes as he listened, glancing at the papers with a nod.

'Exactly! Whoever is messing with the system is linked to Akatsuki, it's the only company that doesn't result in the list!'

'Don't you find it suspicious? they're making it too obvious, they are not even putting the effort of masking their actions'

He glared at his empty coffee cup, and got up to go and make some more,while listening to his cousin talking.

'I think we should ask Kisame or Sasori to look into it, thinking about it, you should hire them and let that be your first act as a Ceo, Kisame could hack any type of software, and could get into their system, and Sasori is good at digging in his unconventional ways.'

'Hn, it does help that they're both unemployed at the moment'

'Exactly!' That way Itachi could bother someone else, he already had enough to do.

'Hn, very well dear cousin, I guess I will let you go, you have to get ready after all'

He could feel that Itachi was smirking, he wasn't sure how, he simply knew.

'Get ready for what?' his eyes widened looking at his calendar where he wrote all his appointments and meetings, since he tended to forget them, he double checked the date, and frowned when he found nothing written on it. It was blank.

He thought for a second if Itachi was messing with him.

'You forgot you're supposed to meet Hana's mother for lunch? How disgraceful cousin, Hana will not be happy'

His cousin's voice sounded amused, having fun at his expenses, damn him, he would find a way to get back to him.

'Holy s-' he was cut off by the buzzer, and the other must have heard too, because he chuckled, before saying 'Good luck with that, have fun with your girlfriend and mother in law, I heard she is a very tough woman'

'Go to hell Itachi! It's your fault I forgot'

'Hn, I don't see how'

'Oh really? Maybe this load of papers you gave me will help you see why, I don't understand why I got stuck with them' he muttered, opening the door for his girlfriend ignoring Itachi amused laughter, he was irritating sometimes.

'I've got my stash right here, don't worry, you're not the only one stuck with the extra work'

'Happy to hear that, got to go now, or I will really get killed, see you this evening'

He hanged the phone up before the other had time to reply, and he smiled at Hana that had just walked in, leaving her purse on the kitchen counter, and looking at him with a questioning look.

"Hey! Good morning my lovely lady!" he smiled at her pulling her in his arms with a quick peck on the lips.

"You're not dressed yet?" she rolled her eyes at his disheveled appearance. He looked terrible, still in his house clothes and his hair tousled up, his glasses on the desk and a mug of coffee on the desk.

"Sorry, I had some work to do" he apologized, running a hand across his tired face, and she gave a quick look at his apartment. It was in a terrible state, he probably hadn't had the time to clean up, he had been working long hours that week, except for the day before.

The brown haired woman sighed, and kissed his cheek, pulling some strands of hair from his face, they were getting long, he needed to go and have them cut. He was a mess all in all.

"Go take a shower and relax, I will make some more coffee, you look like a bus ran you over" she gave him a disapproving look, and he smirked at her, giving her a light kiss in her hair.

"You do care for me then" he whispered, he loved when she let her guard down, he knew her tough side was all an act, she was affectionate and loving when they were on their own, and he liked that too. He had chased after her for a long time, and their relationship was exactly how he had imagined it. It was perfect, and he had already planned on making the next move.

She would be in for a big surprise.

"You big idiot, of course I do, now go and get ready, we have to meet my mother in two hours"

He grimaced a the thought, he really wasn't looking forward to that. Everyone he knew had been telling him that Tsume Inuzuka was a scary woman, and if even her son had confirmed that, he knew he was already screwed. Thinking about now, Hana was a lot like her mother according to Kiba.

"What?" she asked noticing his expression, he hadn't even talked, but she knew exactly what was going through his mind.

"Nothing dear, I am looking forward to that meeting" he lied with a big grin on his face. Maybe his mother had a little reason for being concerned for her son, Hana was staring at him with her eyes narrowed and her hands on her hips. Everything hinted for danger, and he swallowed loudly, pondering on his next moves. The plan was to get to his bathroom safely. She couldn't get to him once he was in there.

"Shisui love, are you not ok in meeting my mother?" she asked in a dangerous low tone, and he backed away slowly, raising his hands innocently.

"Of course I am! Why would you ever get that impression?" he asked, tentatively making another step backwards.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe it was your joyful expression that gave you away. Do I have to remind you that I met your mother and half of your family on our first date, I still have nightmares about your Uncle Izuna and his passion for cacti plants!"

He sighed, he knew his uncles were scary, Izuna had an insane passion for cactuses, he didn't even now why or when his passion had started to become obsession, maybe it was the fact he had never married, but his house was full of them, and he had a few of them in his office also. He had even named each one of them. But Izuna, except his weird passions was an all right person. He was very loving and he had been his favorite uncle when he was a kid. Now, Madara, he was the one she had to worry about. He was just scary, and crazy, he couldn't blame Sasuke for being scared of him.

"And you still haven't met Madara" he dead panned in a low voice.

"Don't worry, I am sure I will have the pleasure to do so tomorrow night, that way I will have become acquainted with the whole Uchiha family"

He grinned rubbing his head through his messy hair, she did have a point.

She rolled her eyes at him, and grabbed a left over piece of tamagoyaki he had prepared for himself earlier.

"They are not so bad"

"You know you don't look believable"

Shisui sighed, "It's because I know they are all crazy! Expcept for Itachi, he is evil"

"Still pissed for the extra work he gave you?" she smirked, studying his sour expression.

"It's not like I have much choice, I understand it's important, but I've barely had any time to rest"

It was the truth, he was even starting to get dark lines under his eyes just like Itachi.

"Itachi at least had a day off" he pouted, he had to discover how his cunning cousin had convinced Madara to give him the little vacation.

"My poor baby"

The Inuzuka squeezed his cheek, finally pulling him down to kiss him properly, how she had wished to do, since the moment she had walked in.

He pulled her closer, encircling his arms around her waist, and deepening the kiss that grew fastly, turning rapidly into a heated make out session.

His hands moved from her hips, one of them found the hem of her shirt and wondered underneath the fabric, touching her heated skin.

Unluckily they ha to separate, because they still needed air, and he rested his forehead on hers.

"I better go and take that shower" he whispered, threading his fingers through her long brown hair, leaving a small kiss at the nape of her neck.

"Shisui, we still have two hours before we need to go" she reminded him, taking fistfuls of his shirt in her small hands, her body almost completely against his stronger one.

He raised both his eyebrows, and immediately understood what she was trying to tell him.

"My dear, you are a very dangerous woman" he smirked, his hands cupping her face now.

Hana shrugged her shoulders with a big smirk, and pulled him towards the bathroom by his shirt, ignoring his sudden yelp, he wasn't displeased though, just surprised.

Two hours and fifteen minutes later, a grinning Shisui, and a very annoyed, with her hair still drenching wet Hana, were scurrying down the road, in a hurry to reach Hana's mother at the restaurant they had agreet to meet at. Her mother was a very punctual woman, and would not be pleased by their lateness.

"Damn Uchiha, my mother will kill me!"

Shisui's grin was still in place, nothing could really bother him in that moment, his mind was still in a daze, he barely was aware of where he was or what he was wearing.

"She won't kill me, I'm too pretty to kill"

She stopped suddenly, and turned to face him, her glare could have killed him on the spot.

"If I go down you're coming with me! Understood? it's your fault too if we're late!"

"I am not the one that wanted to go for another round, despite me telling you we were going to be late"

He smirked, and if it wasn't for the possible witnesses crowding the streets she might have murdered him.

"Shisui?"

"Yes my love?"

"Just shut up, and stop grinning like an idiot, you're scaring the children"

"But-"

The sound of someone chuckling interrupted him, and Shisui turned around, and his expression changed to one of stupor when he saw Kiba staring back at him with a big grin.

"I guess it's obvious who's the boss in this relationship"

The young Inuzuka was starting to re evaluate his opinion on the Uchiha men, he had always thought them to be tough and who would never give control to their partners, but he had witnessed last night in Itachi's and Naruko's relationship, that, and he wasn't really surprised since he knew how the Namikaze was, that she was the one in control, Itachi would comply with anything she wanted, and rarely went against her, and Sasuke wasn't any better, although Sakura was down right scary, so it's not like he had much choice. And now this, Shisui was whipped, and to his sister nonetheless.

"Kiba! What the hell are you doing here?" she was fuming, between her idiot boyfriend and her even worse brother, she was losing her patience.

"What? Mom sent me looking for you, you weren't answering your phone"

Hana's eyes widened, and she checked her purse and her pockets, before realizing she had probably left her phone at Shisui's.

"Damn it! I forgot my phone in your apartment!"

She slapped her hand on her forehead and groaned.

"I don't see where the problem is, we can pick it up later" Shisui waved it off.

"I was waiting for an important phone call about the funds for the kennel I'm trying to open, I might have found someone that wants to give me some financial aid"

Shisui frowned as she explained, he knew the Inuzuka weren't very rich, her mother ran a succesful veterinary clinic, and made enough to live decently, but they didn't have enough to open a new business, especially one that would mostly be sustained by donations, since Hana didn't intend to ask for payment for the pets that needed adoption. She just wanted them to find a good family that would care for them, that's all she wanted.

Both Hana and Kiba had inherited their family's special love and dedication to animals. Hana had graduated in veterinary medicine, and worked alongside her mother during the day, and by night she worked as a waitress to earn enough to afford opening the kennel she had dreamed of since she was a child. She had even found the perfect location, she just needed the money.

"Hey, I will go back to mom, tell her you're on the way" Kiba felt the tension grow, and he excused himself, distancing himself as fast as he could from the couple.

He was aware it was a sensitive topic, since he had heard them argue about it before.

"I don't understand why you have to go and ask someone else when I could give you what you need to start, you know that you just need to ask" he was serious this time, amd his dark eyes met her hazel ones, and she immediately turned away from him, hiding her face.

"We already discussed it"

"And still, I haven't gotten a decent answer"

"It's just that….I would feel uncomfortable, asking money from you...I…I don't want you or your family to think that I am with you for the money. I know your mother already doesn't like me that much-"

His eyes softened and he smiled tenderly, shaking his head at his girlfriend, pulling her to him, and kissing her at the top of her head.

"You're so silly, as if I could ever address you as a gold digger. I chased after you for twelve years because I knew how special and good hearted you are. I could never ever think you're with me because of my social status, so, just shut up and let me help you. I won't accept another no as an answer, plus, my mother adores you just as much as I do"

"Did I already tell you I love you?"

"Of course! You love me so much, you even say it in your sleep"

She rolled her eyes at that, and laughed it off, his humor was one of the reasons she had fallen for him, twelve years ago. She had been so stupid for not letting herself be with him sooner. Her stupid pride, and the fear he was just another rich kid playing with people's feelings were one of the reasons she had refused him for all that time.

"Don't get ahead of yourself now, Uchiha"

"Don't act as if it isn't true"

"You're such an idiot" she laughed as he kissed her on the cheek, and grabbed her hand with a smug smile.

"We better go now, I just can't wait to meet the mother in law"

She winced at the thought, her mother would probably already be in a terrible mood, and Kiba was there, which might help a bit. Still, the risks of this being a catastrophe was terribly high.

"Oh man, this is going to be one hell of a ride"

"What do you mean, she will love me, just you wait and see, I will be her favorite son in law ever, well, when we marry I mean"

She sighed and chuckled hearing him say that. Her mother was a tough woman, she had scared off her own husband, and some of Hana's exes, and a few suitors, she hoped she wouldn't scare the Uchiha, thay was the reason she had told her mother before hand, how important he was to her, and had avoided telling him exactly why, her father had ran out on them.

Her mother was going to be a hard bone to pick, but at least Shisui was an idiotic optimist.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"So, how did it go with the mother in law?"

Itachi was sitting in front of him with an amused smile as he sipped a bit of his cocktail, his dark eyes were attentive and studying every expression that passed Shisui's equally pale face.

The older Uchiha groaned as he too took a sip from his iced tea, and the long black haired man raised a perfect brow in question, his lips already turning in a light smirk.

"It looks like it went terribly"

Deidara grinned from his spot between Sasori and Naruko, that was too busy looking at the menu, and frowning for the lack of ramen in that particular restaurant, to listen to the conversation.

"Meeting the family, nasty business" Sasori muttered, he too had gone through the experience when he had introduced Deidara to his grandmother. He had been worried, because the old hag was a prejudiced old woman, but he was proved wrong, when the two had met and they had suddenly teamed up against him, pulling any type of pranks on him, his grandmother was just as crazy as Deidara, and that was never a good combination.

"It wasn't so bad, it's just Shisui doesn't think straight when he's under pressure, he was sweating and he even stuttered at one point. My mother even asked me if he was always like that, and if I was sure about my choice of a partner"

Hana grinned, still amused by the memory of a red faced Shisui interrogated by her mother about safe sex.

"I didn't know that!" The Uchiha felt like slamming his head on the table. He had been so embarassed. Tsume Inuzuka really was a scary woman. He didn't look forward in meeting her again. Luckily Kiba had been there, but he hadn't stayed long.

"Man, I would have loved to see that" The blonde artist deadpanned, eyes wide in admiration, and both hands under his chin as he stared at the poor Shisui. Anyone that could get him in that state, had to be powerful. Nothing could ever crush his cheery behaviour.

Hana chuckled and stroked her boyfriend's back, to soothe him a little bit.

"She doesn't hate you"

"Oh really? What about the part that she said she hates Uchiha's because Madara didn't fund the public kennel twenty years ago, when he had promised he would? And it ended up closing because of that!"

Itachi furrowed his brows at that.

"I didn't know anything about that"

"Madara is evil, the kennel was ran by one of the organizations that received charity money from him, but when he discovered that it was ran by Tobirama Senju, cut the funds, being as the major source of money, they were obligated to close a year later."

Shisui explained, his face still resting on the table.

"Figures we would end up being hated because of a nutty family member" the younger Uchiha muttered, eyeing his blonde girlfriend and rolling his eyes at her. She was still reading the stupid menu.

"We will get some sukiyaki, I heard it's very good here, we can share" he smiled at her and she sighed.

"Fine"

Itachi smiled, and finally managed to take it away from her, and called for a waiter.

Naruko then looked at Hana, she had heard the last part of the conversation and she was curious, and worried.

"What happened to all the animals that stayed there?"

"Most of them got adopted, but the ones that couldn't find a home by the time they closed well, you can imagine"

The blonde gasped, and turned to look at her boyfriend.

"Did you know about this?"

"It happened twenty years ago, I think I could barely talk at the time"

"Madara is a bastard" Shisui muttered, and Deidara looked at him with a smile, his blue eyes shining, looked straight into Shisui's.

"I can make him explode if you want" he offered with a big smile.

"No!" the three men shouted at the same time, and the blond artist pouted.

"You have no consideration for my art" they didn't understand, he was a sensitive person, under all the crazyness.

"Not when it contemplates murder"

Sasori explained, his face expressionless as if he was discussing the weather.

"I wasn't going to kill him! Who do you take me for! I would just have just given him a scare"

"He's old, and subjected to heart attacks, you might kill him anyway"

"Madara will never die. He will outlive us and come back to torture the next generations"

The waiter finally came to the table to take their order.

"could you bring a bottle of the strongest sake you have?" the young artist asked the male waiter, that raised a brow at him.

"He's kidding, right?" he asked looking at Itachi, he probably looked like the more serious person of the group.

"Does he look like he's kidding?" Sasori looked at the waiter from under his long eyelashes, that made him look even scarier than usual.

"Our friend is depressed" he explained, stage whispering at the poor waiter, that sent a glance in Shisui's way and

"Our friend over there, is quite depressed, you see" he stage whispered at the poor waiter, and he glanced quickly at Shisui's way, nodding in understanding.

"I see"

They had gone to a restaurant to eat something, before going to the movies, they had all decided, mostly because Naruko had opposed horror movies, after spending the night hiding in Itachi's arms because Kiba had insisted on watching 'the Ring' to impress his new girlfriend Tamaki, her eyes had been protected but she still could hear the horrible sounds that had scared her so much, she had forced Itachi to disconnect his house phone and both their cell phones once they got back to his house with Menma and Sasuke, afraid of some weird voice calling to inform them they had seven days before being

Itachi had banned horror movies just for that.

That was the reason, Deidara and Naruko had chosen the movie and they were going to watch 'Despicable me 3' Sasori had already planned of falling asleep during the movie. He had already passed his limit by allowing himself to buy a ticket for sucha thing, but it made Deidara happy, and it was the only thing that mattered to him. Shisui had been enthused, that was before getting depressed, and Itachi and Hana were neutral, not really caring, just wanting to enjoy a relaxing evening.

Once the waiter left, Itachi frowned at the blond artist.

"Sake, really?"

"What? I'm trying to be helpful!"

"Getting him drunk?"

Hana reprimanded him this time, not really wanting to see her boyfriend get drunk, especially if the cause was her mother.

"You know what Shisui? You better get over this right now, or you're going to get a good use of your hand for the next month!"

"You can't do that!" the Uchiha looked immediately more lively than he had all evening.

Naruko blushed looking at Itachi, and whispered close to his ear.

"Does she mean what I think she means?"

"I am afraid she is"

"I didn't need to hear that" she yelped with a disgusted face, and her boyfriend rubbed his hand on his face.

"None of us needed to hear that" the red head sighed, imitating Itachi.

"Man, I can almost picture it! Where is the damn sake?" Deidara looked around nervously and Sasori face palmed.

"Why would you ever need sake now?"

"To forget that conversation! You have no shame! you're scarring Naruko's virgin ears" he pointed his index fingers towards a fuming Hana and a dazed Shisui.

"Hey!" the Namikaze blushed heavily, Deidara wasn't wrong, but he didn't need to shout it out for the whole restaurant to hear.

"Maybe I will be the one needing sake by the end of the evening." Itachi muttered, pulling Naruko to his chest with a smirk, feeling her hide her face in his white dress shirt.

"Man, you guys are all crazy!"

The red head sighed, but a small smile graced his lips.

The waiter came by, and Deidara smirked pulling the bottle to himself with a wide grin, and raised it pouring his content in five glasses, Naruko wasn't of legal age to drink yet, and looked at the newly celibate Shisui.

"To Shisui's month of celibacy! Cheers!"

Naruko laughed, showing her face again, and Itachi raised his glass with a visible smirk, even Sasori couldn't hold in his amusement.

"You big idiots" The Uchiha glared at the blonde, before taking a sip from his glass, but he was glad he had such friends, that would make him forget his troubles. Were they a troublesome mother in law or his girlfriend's threats.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Naruko was getting dressed for that night's event, while Ino finished the last touch ups on her makeup, and Sakura looked, from her spot on the bed.

The two girls, had been there all afternoon, and they had both noticed the blonde's glum expression, as her lack of positivity and brightness. She looked nervous, as she fiddled with her fingers, and stared at the black dress hanging in front of her, the one that Deidara had chosen, and that was unlike anything she had ever wore before.

Sakura, had been studying her during all this time, sending questioning glances to Ino, that had shrugged it off as excitement, but the pink haired girl, wasn't stupid, and knew something was up, but knew also that she would tell them when she was ready, at least she hoped she did.

"Here, all done! You can look at yourself in the mirror, and then we will help you dress" Ino gave her a small mirror she had brought along with the rest of her make up, since Naruko didn't have one.

The blonde took it and stared at her reflection blinking as she took a first good look.

Her blue eyes, looked even more intense with the 'smokey eye' effect Ino had applied. Her cheeks were a light peach color thag went well with her bronze skin and the natural lip gloss, all framed by her natural blonde hair, that she had wisely styled in soft waves. Ino had done a terrific job, she barely recognized herself under all the makeup.

"Woah" she breathed out, and the pale blonde girl smirked as she started applying her own makeup.

"I know, I'm good. I admit I had been dying to give you a makeover for years! I had a lot of ideas, but I went with the more dramatic look, who knows when I will be able to do it again"

She beamed at herself in the mirror, while she applied some red lipstick, proud of her work. She should become a make up artist, Sai had said she had talent, and she knew she had it in her even without his encouragement.

"Do you guys think this makes me look a little older?" Naruko timidly asked still studying her image on the mirror, still disbelieving it was her face she was staring at.

"Why do you ask?" Sakura looked alarmed and even Ino stopped what she was doing, exchanging a worried glance with the pink haired girl.

"It's nothing…I well you know…" she trailed off looking at her friends with a little uncertainty.

"Naruko, you can tell us anything you know that. Did Itachi do something that bothered you?"

"Yeah, do you want us to punch him or something?" Sakura offered, it's not like Sasuke would ever find out, and even though she really liked her brother in law she wouldn't hesitate to hurt him if it meant defending her friend.

"Geez Forehead, calm down will ya?" Ino thought that threatening to ruin Itachi's good looks wouldn't help, and it would be a waste.

"Fine" she sat down on the bed, next to Naruko.

"Well…we were at the movies yesterday night, and I left him with the rest of the group to go to the bathroom for five seconds. When I came back, he was talking with these two girls who were obviously coming on to him, at least that's what Deidara told me, you know me, I didn't notice they were attempting to flirt as they just asked simple information, I would have thought nothing about it but-"

"Wait a sec! did he flirt back with them in front of you?" Ino asked with a raised eyebrow and Sakura tightened her fist in anger, her eyes narrowing.

"I will teach him!"

It was unlikely though for the Uchiha and they both knew that. He was reserved and hated people fawning over him, and, more importantly, they had seen how much he cared for Naruko, he would never disrespect her like that.

"Uh? No, as soon as I came back he introduced me as his girlfriend, and they left"

The pale blonde let out a breath, and the pink haired girl relaxed.

"So, what is it you're worried about?" Ino asked, facing the girl. Itachi had shown that he was a true gentleman, so she really didn't see why Naruko was so preoccupied.

"It's just that…they were older, and probably more experienced than I am. They looked at me as if I was just a kid. What if Itachi sees me the same way? As a little girl? He used to call me that, and I wonder if he feels like I really am just a stupid young girl sometimes"

"Age is just a number 'Ruko!" the pale blonde waved her hand with the mascara brush as she smiled at her worried friend.

"Yeah, easy for you to say. Both of your boyfriends are our age. Itachi is 22, he is going to be Ceo of a renowned company, while I…I am just a teenage high school student!. I am not very smart, and I'm loud and obnoxious, I barely pay attention to important stuff! I am a disaster in fashion, I will never be able to be the type of woman a man in his position would want, I am hardly one anyway, I love dressing as a boy, hanging out with boys, and doing things they do! I am…a little girl compared to the females of his age group, I don't even know why he puts up with me! We haven't even-" she interrupted herself, realizing she was rambling and probably it was just nervousness taking over, but she couldn't help it. That night was very important, and she knew she would be scrutinized by everyone, and be introduced as Itachi's girlfriend. Deidara had reminded her enough that it was stuck in her mind and it was giving her torment. She had been fine yesterday evening while she had been with him, she had even managed to forget her doubts, especially after the episode with those two bit- girls. But now, that she was in her room with her friends helping her prepare for the evening, that her dress was there in front of her eyes, those doubts had all come back full force.

"Were you saying you two…you aren't intimate?" Sakura didn't want to be vulgar, and the argument was embarrassing enough for the three teenage girls who were inexperienced and shy in discussing such topic.

Naruko flushed, and Ino smirked, she was shameless so she was the only one with no problem of deepening that conversation.

"I…I don't even want to go there!" the blonde Namikaze shrieked, feeling her heated face. Of course, it was an issue that had been tormenting her for days, especially after her first night at Itachi's where the temptation and the tension had been high. He had told her he would wait until she was ready, and had not say another word about it after that. Leaving her full of doubts. How was she supposed to know when exactly that moment would come? And would that help her feel a little more secure about their relationship?

She was so confused!

"It's obvious they aren't" Ino said with a grin, looking at both of them with her arms crossed on her chest.

"Shut up Pig! it's not like you and Sai have gotten that far either"

"Of course not! But he at least has hit second base, I can easily guess the most you two have done is kissing"

Sakura gasped and Naruko his her face in her hands. Why oh why did they have to talk about such things? She didn't even want to imagine two of her best friends ingaging in such acts. She would need a mind bleach or something.

"Sai? Hit second base? puh-lease! He wouldn't even know what that means!"

"What forehead, are you jealous you and little Uchiha have barely kissed properly?" the pale blonde answered with a smug look.

"We have done more that that, Pig" she stuck her tongue out at the other that gasped loudly.

"You mean… you and Sasuke have….you have-"

"Homerun baby!" Sakura said smugly.

"You haven't!" Ino pointed a finger at her with incredulous wide eyes.

"Would you two stop it with the baseball metaphors? I don't even know what they're supposed to mean!" Naruko muttered, why oh why did she have to bring up such a discussion?

"I am to shocked to say anything, and you didn't even tell us!"

"Sorry I didn't think it was something I should brag about" Sakura answered honestly and Ino sent her a sour look.

"You just did forehead!"

"Am I the only one who still doesn't know what's going on?"

"It's sex 'Ruko, that's what happened"

"No, I didn't want to know that! Now I can't look at Sasuke the same anymore" The blonde whined covering her stomach with her hands, she felt sick.

"Well forehead, how was it?" Ino asked with a big wide smile

"Why is this so important?" The blonde wished she could take it all back, it was too embarrassing. Her friends were ahead of her in their relationships, not that mattered, but it made her feel more like a scared little girl. Now she was sure, she would die as a virgin, with all her doubts, she usually was sure of herself, but not this time. That was it, Itachi would leave her, and probably marry one of those girls and she would become an old cat lady, exactly like that old woman that lived in that district with all those stray cats. She could take her place once she died. Konoha needed a cat lady after all.

"Stop being ridiculous!"

"Did I say that out loud?"

"About being a cat lady? Yes, and believe me, if that happens I will be the first one to come over there and beat some sense into you. Itachi loves you! Everyone can see that! Even Sasuke said it! Stop being so insecure!"

Naruko felt a little better, but her doubts couldn't be waved off that simply.

"Anyway, I want to know! How was it?" Ino smirked at the pink haired girl that was now blushing just as much as Naruko.

"Well…it only happened once, and-"

"Did it hurt?" It was what Ino really wanted to know.

"It hurts?" Naruko was even more scared now. This wasn't helping at all.

"Man, did no one ever tell you how it works?" Sakura blushed, she was no real expert, but didn't want to scare her friends. Her first time had been…terrible! It had hurt as hell and Sasuke probably didn't know what he was doing, and it had ended too soon, leaving both of them confused and unsatisfied.

If that was all that was, sex was really overrated.

"Like I ever listen to anything"

Sakura and Ino both chuckled and Naruko pouted.

"You see? Itachi will realize how dumb I am and leave me"

"It's a surprise he already didn't, Dobe"

All three girls turned around wide eyed, Sakura all red, Ino with a bright smile, and Naruko with a frown.

"Who let you in Teme?"

Sasuke snorted, and rolled his eyes at her, putting his hands in the pockets of his suit.

"Your mother. She said to be ready in ten minutes by the way."

"And what are you doing here?" she asked him, sitting up, facing him fully, and she noticed his eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"You finally look like a girl. You look good dobe"

She blinked, was Sasuke really complimenting her? Was she dreaming? Had the real Sasuke been abducted by aliens and the one standing in front of her a substitute?

"I haven't been abducted by aliens you moron!"

"Did I talk out loud again?" she wondered, looking at the other occupants of the room with a questioning look.

"No, but I could tell you were thinking that"

"You can read my mind! you're an alien aren't you? You are going to kill all human kind and conquer the world!"

"Stop it you idiot"

"The alien would be nicer than you, damn Teme"

"What I even said you look good"

"And she still has the wear her dress, believe me, Itachi will have a stroke when he sees her"

Ino winked at the Uchiha, and he frowned at her, but he quickly was distracted as Sakura came into view, wearing her red dress, her hair fixed up in a small bun.

Sasuke's eyes widened when he saw her, but it didn't last long, he quickly changed back to his expressionless self.

"I have to use the rest room than we can leave" she told him, kissing him on the cheek quickly, ignoring his annoyance at those public displays of affection.

"Is Sai here?" Ino asked, he was supposed to pick her up there, since she didn't have enough time to go home.

"Downstairs, having tea with mr Namikaze"

Naruko furrowed her brows hearing that, and Ino sighed, running downstairs to collect her boyfriend and leave for the party or they would be late, leaving Naruko and Sasuke alone.

"Well, I should probably go and get ready" she sighed dreading the momenti she would have to put that damn dress on.

"Hey dobe, wait just a second" the Uchiha stopped her, leaning on the wall with one shoulder, so he could look at the surprised girl properly.

"Itachi told me he found a house, he will move by the end of the week"

"Yeah, I know" she admitted with a small smile, looking into his shiny black pools, that looked so familiar to the ones she loved so fondly.

"I went with him to see it, and do you know it's only ten minutes from campus, and it got this awesome view-"

"Dobe?" the black haired teen interrupted her with a grin. It would be impossible to shut her up otherwise.

"Uh?"

"You got your answer" he smirked, knowing that she wouldn't understand what he meant.

"My answer to what?" the blonde girl was confused, Sasuke was always so confusing.

"Your doubts about my brother. You know they're stupid and have no reason for them, he went through the effort to get a house to prove his point. The choice he made, wasn't casual, and I'm sure you know it already. He loves you, and he is serious about it." He smiled at her glowing expression. She was smiling sweetly, and he shook his head at her, he wasn't the type to comfort people, but he cared for the stupid dobe, and he absolutely adored Itachi.

"I just thought you should know"

"Thank you, but, does this mean you were eavesdropping?" she had a wicked grin, and he gaped at her, realizing that he had outed himself.

"It's not my fault, you damn girls don't know how to talk with a decent tone of voice, you shout like a bunch of sailors"

"Teme….just admit it"

"Go to hell Dobe! To think I wanted to help you"

He started to walk away and Sakura got out of the bathroom right in time, it was like she too was listening and had waited till they were done talking.

"Do you think he heard everything?" she asked Naruko, and the blonde girl tilted her head.

"I believe he did, why? Was there something you didn't want him to hear?"

"Damn it! What were we talking about it before he knocked?"

Naruko thought about it for a few seconds, and Sakura rolled her eyes at her, impatient.

"Oh…that"

"Exactly. I'm screwed!" the pink haired girl explained with a hushed tone, hoping the Uchiha wouldn't hear her. He had fine ears, that one.

"Quite literally" Naruko laughed, and Sakura slapped her on the head, a punch would leave a mark, and they had to leave soon.

"Sakura? Are you ready?" Sasuke's voice came from the stairs, and she gulped before looking at Naruko with dread, it was laced with silebt fury, and she knew what was waiting for her downstairs.

"If you don't see me at the party, he has probably abandoned me somewhere"

Naruko snickered at that, and reassured her with a warm smile.

"Nah, the worst he can do is not speak to you for a while, you know, that silent disapproving glare" Itachi had used it on her, after she had forced him to go around the house to check there weren't any zombie like little girl dragging around the house, and made him lock all doors for precaution, you know in case she decided to visit them. He had refused to speak a word to her after that, after swearing he would never let her watch anything remotely scary. She had learnt that even he didn't have endless patience, but of course he had budged quickly, when she had started sniffing and he thought she was crying, when she actually had to sneeze. It looked like she had learnt another Uchiha weakness. Girl tears. Itachi couldn't handle her crying and would go into a panic when it happened, not that it ever had, he yet had to see her on a period. That would be a fun experience for him. Her mother drove her poor father crazy in those days, and now she could do the same to Itachi.

"Yeah, it must be an Uchiha thing" Sakura too had her own experiences with the glare of doom.

"Dobe tell Sakura I give her two minutes or I'm leaving without her" The two girls looked at each other, and sighed.

So it had begun.

"I can hear you you know!" the pink haired girl yelled as she went down the stairs after waving off Naruko.

There was no answer, so she assumed Sasuke had already walked out.

With a shrug, she walked back into her room, where she could finally start getting dressed, and groaned when she realized she needed help to wear the stupid thing, she couldn't really understand how to put it on, and didn't want to risk in breaking it, she took it off the hanger starting her own personal mission.

"Naruko? Are you ready?" Kushina's voice came from behind the door, and she yelped, almost tripping on the fabric.

"I…no, I have to- damn thing!"

Kushina rolled her eyes, and walked in, aware her daughter didn't have much practice with such things.

"Naruko, what are you doing on the floor?" she chuckled, at the scene of the girl on the floor, the dress under her.

"Mom! don't you know how to knock?"

"Get up, I will help you, you're such a klutz, you should be more…graceful"

"You're one to talk mom, and that dress is evil, it's not my fault"

Kushina shook her head at her daughter, and helped her get up and dressed.

"You look so beautiful" she teared up sniffing loudly.

Naruko didn't know what to say. It really was a weird feeling seeing herself so elegant, she didn't recall ever wearing something like it, except when her mother would put those frilly dresses on her when she was a child, but that wasn't exactly the same thing.

The dress was black with some fine red linings, it wasn't a coincidence, Deidara had chose it because of the Uchiha colouring. It was sleeveless, knee length and snug on her body, showing off her figure, with a squared neckline, but the thing that made her most uneasy was the exposed back.

It made a nice contrast with her blonde hair and bronzed skin.

The only problem were the shoes, she didn't know how to walk with high heels, even if Deidara had given her lessons and said she was a natural, she still felt like a dinosaur with feet problems when she walked in them, she would probably fall down and make a fool of herself.

"You know, me and Mikoto always thought you and Itachi would make a great couple" Kushina admitted with a wicked smile, as she fixed Naruko's hair.

"What? So it's like Itachi had said! You two had really planned everything!"

Actually when wasn't he right? He always seemed to know and anticipate everything. Maybe they should use his talent and go to some casino, she was sure he would hit jackpot with no problem, actually he should go into some poker tournament, he would easily win with that poker face of his.

"Oh, it's no big deal, a mother always wants what is best for their children, and we really wanted to become one big family. For a short while we had even thought you and Sasuke would have gotten together, but we understood soon enough you two weren't suited as a couple"

Naruko made a shocked face, and Kushina let out a chuckle.

"I know were probably crazy."

"That's why you were so supportive, and never interfered!"

"I approve of him, why should I interfere?"

Naruko couldn't say anything against that.

"I know he's responsible, and I know that you will come to me when you feel you're ready for well you know, that"

Her mother blushed, so it wasn't just her who got embarrassed.

"What if I told you I am ready?"

Kushina smiled tenderly at her daughter, stroking her cheek.

"I would say that I think you shouldn't rush into something yo're not sure about. I can tell you're not, give yourself more time, there's no rush for these things, your relationship is still at the beginning, you don't have to prove anything Naruko, you will know when you're ready"

Naruko smiled back at her mother, thankful she had gone to her, and the red headed woman grinned back.

"You have grown so much, both you and Menma, you aren't my little babies anymore, you will leave for college soon, and have your own life"

"Mom, don't get all sad now, you're going to make me cry"

"Hey, dad wanted to know what is taking you so long, the car is ready, and damn Hyuga said Hinata is already waiting for me at the party an-"

Menma had walked into the room, he too all dressed elegantly, his black hair was still sticking out in spikes, it was just impossible to hold them down.

"Menma! My baby!"

Kushina pulled him too into the bear hug.

"mom, I can't breathe!"

The black haired teen tried to say, he had his mother's arm covering his mouth partially, while Naruko could only make incomprehensible muffled noises.

"What is taking everybody so long?"

Minato had been waiting in the car for a while, and had sent his son to go and retrieve everyone, since they were running late, but he hadn't came back so he decided to go and check himself.

When he saw his family though, all cuddled up in a warm embrace, he couldn't resist and teared up a bit, as his lips tilted up in a warm smile.

That was his family. Kushina looked at him, and with one hand invited him to join them.

He sniffled a bit, and immediately added his arms in that tight family hug.

Naruko looked up at her father, meeting his blue eyes, so similar to her own and smiled.

She might be leaving the nest soon to start her own life, but she would always have the warmth and comfort of her family.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi was hanging around the huge ballroom that had been set up as a dining room and that was situated at the top floor of the Uchiha building in the center of Konoha. Outside, they had managed to build a patio where a small cocktail hadd been set up before dinner. Madara had really madee big plans for his retirement, it had taken almost three months for his secretary to organize everything, with the help of his mother and Izuna, and every person that worked for Uchiha or with them as partners had been invited to the evening, and he politely greeted a lot of people from his office, befpre finally finding a quiet spot where he could taste a glass of good wine while ignoring most of the crowd as he waited for Naruko to get there.

His mother was still out greeting the guests as they came, his father was busy making small talks with other presidents that had showed up to celebrate Madara, and Sasuke was in a corner silently arguing with Sakura over something, honestly he couldn't get himself to worry about it in that moment.

"Itachi" he hadn't noticed someone had approached him until they heard him call his name, he turned around, meeting Sasori's hazel gaze.

"Sasori. I didn't see you earlier, when did you get here? And where's Deidara?"

The red head got closer, wanting to avoid people to listen in to their conversation.

"I left him at the open bar with Shisui" he sent a quick look in their direction, and Itachi followed his gaze and spotted immediately the blonde artist, clad in a burgundy suit? That honestly, only he could pull off,next to his annoyed cousin and his girlfriend, Hana, that looked interested in whatever the artist was saying. He could be planning to blow up the whole building for all he knew, and something told him Hana wouldn't try to stop him.

"Ah, I see, do you think it's a smart thing to leave those two near a open bar?"

"I guess we will find out later. I actually came looking for you to give you this" he handed him a small usb pen with an indication to put it in his pocket immediately, so no one could notice the exchange, Itachi immediately did so, hiding it in the inside pocket of his jacket.

"So, what is it?"

"I found out some interesting things about that company you were worried about"

Itachi's eyes widened in pure surprise. He had offered Sasori a position in Uchiha, and asked him to investigate, just the night before, he hadn't expected to get information so soon, despite knowing the red head was an expert in that field.

"About Root and his relations with Akatsuki?"

"Not only that. But it would be best you read them, your uncle doesn't look so clean" Sasori took a sip out of his glass and gave another look around trying to find Deidara mostly to check he wasn't traumatizing people.

"My uncle? You mean Madara?" he asked in a whispered voice, and Sasori nodded.

"This isn't the best place to talk about it, Kisame is still investigating though, he will be able to tell you more"

"Thank you, you will be payed for this"

"Yeah, you already did enough offering me a job, Deidara really likes it here, he is even thinking of transferring here for his last year of college, he really bonded with Naruko and Hana and I'm happy he could make some friends"

Itachi nodded, he knew that despite his cold attitude towards the artist in public, the red head really loved the blonde pshyco, they had been together for years, and were still going strong, despite the age difference, Deidara was turning twenty one, while Sasori would hit thirty in november. Their age gap was bigger than his with Naruko, but he knew it was never an issue between them.

"Don't you ever fear that he'll meet someone younger or him leaving you for some reason?"

"Do you fear that?" Sasori asked back, a small grin on his lips.

"Maybe" the Uchiha admitted, and Sasori smirked hearing that.

"I think you are still a little burnt for what Izumi did, so you are a little fearless, especially since Naruko is so young, and next year will be starting college. Is all really in your hands, Itachi, the key is to make the person next to you happy, and have trust in them. There is nothing else you can do"

"I never thought I would receive advice from you of all people"

"It's quite shocking for me too, I never give advice. I guess I too grew fond of her, I don't want to see you screw it up, also, Deidara would never forgive you for it and will complain to me about it, so, Uchiha feel yourself warned"

Itachi nodded at that threat, and the red headed simply hummed sipping some more wine.

"Itachi! There you are, Madara is not here yet, and we need you to come and talk to people until he shows up" his mother had spotted him, and he sighed, he had been trying to hide, he hated mingling with business people at such parties. They were all pompous bastards and he had low tolerance for them.

"Isn't uncle Izuna around?"

"Izuna won't be the Ceo, you will, people want to see you!"

He sighed, and followed his mother, knowing she might drag him if he didn't follow willingly, she took him in the middle of the patio were most of the guests were, and he sighed as he noticed Rasa Sabaku on one corner talking to a old looking man with one eye covered up by bandages. He recognized him as Danzo Shimura, he remembered meeting him in his uncle's office once.

"Stay here and be polite" his mother recommended, and he sighed. He would need a lot more wine to get through that evening, or for Naruko to hurry up and get there.

He even spotted Hashirama Senju not so far from him, with his wife Mito, and grandaughter Tsunade Senju witu her husband Jiraiya, and not too far from them, his Uncle Izuna was looking like he was having an intimate conversation with a white haired man, the two looked very close, and Itachi was surprised he had never seen that man before, and he had never seen his uncle smile like that at someone.

"Ah Itachi, there you are!" he was glad when he met his father.

"Were you looking for me?"

"I can't handle all of this, and Madara still hasn't arrived! he's like a rockstar, always late as the crowd calls for him"

Madara as a rockstar, he really couldn't picture it, his uncle was too a serious man, maybe the hair though...

"Calm down father, mother already told me to entertain the guests, I was actually thinking of grabbing three bottles of vodka and juggle them around"

"It's not the moment to be sarcastic, Madara will have a fit when he sees Tobirama Senju here!"

"why is he even here then?"

"Because he is the vicepresident and ceo of Senju! If he wasn't people would talk"

Itachi sighed, he was already tired, and getting a headache, and the evening had yet to begin properly.

"What is this big problem with Madara and the Senju?"

Fugaku sighed and waved at someone behind them.

"It's a long story, damn it, it's Cloud's president, that A guy really intimidates everyone with his muscles, better go and greet him properly"

His father disappeared as quickly as he had arrived, leaving Itachi alone and more confused than before. Damn he really hated these parties.

"I would have loved to see you juggle three bottles of vodka, it's a shame there is no vodka around here, damn Uchiha's and their high class wine"

Shisui grinned and patted him on the back, before adding.

"I am so proud to see you learnt the fine art of sarcasm"

"Thanks, I was dying to have your compliments"

"Okay, we don't want to use too much of it now"

Itachi decided to simply ignore his irritating cousin, it was going to be a long night, and he needed to muster up all his energy, if he wanted to keep his sanity intact.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Naruko felt a little nervous as her father parked the car, and her mother looked at her with a beaming smile from the front seat.

"Showtime, sister!" Menma whipped his phone out of his pocket and took a picture of her shocked face.

"One day you can show it to your and Itachi's kids" he grinned wickedly and Naruko's face reddened like a pepper at the mere thought.

"That I hope come as late as possible" Minato interjected, grimacing at the thought of the Uchiha stealing his adored little girl.

Naruko hung her head low, her family was embarrassing, she just hoped they wouldn't say such things in front of Itachi and his family. Sasuke and Menma would give her hell if they would.

"I have to admit, he is a brave man to have the patience to deal with you"

"You damn moron!" Naruko gathered her fists and was about to punch him hard on the head, but Kushina stopped her, with her death glare.

"Stop it! You will ruin your dress! And Menma, you have to save that photo for me" she winked at her son, that winked back with the exact replica of her grin on his lips.

They finally got out of the car, and Minato gave a good look at Naruko's dress and frowned at the exposed skin.

He had noticed earlier and just like on her first date with Itachi,had tried to cover her up with a sweater, forgetting it was july and that she would probably turn into a puddle of sweat because of the insane heat.

"Naruko dear, daddy brought you another sweater in case you need it" he whispered in the blonde girl's ear, that stifled a chuckle, not feeling like disappointing her poor parent, but the point in her going through the effort of wearing the dress was to impress Itachi, and she couldn't do that if she was covered with her father's oversized sweater, especially if it was the one her mother had made knitted for him ages ago, and fitted more like a blanket.

"Minato!"

Kushina though heard him, and growled at him and stomped towards them pulling him by the ear and dragging him into the building, with an incredible amount of strength, leaving the two teenagers behind, assisting at the scene with horror.

"Remind me to never piss off mom" Menma shuddered at the thought of what she could do in her moments of fury, she looked like those wrestling fighters.

"Sure thing" their mother was down right terrifying, no doubt why their father was so docile, she could literally rip him to shreds if she wished to.

Naruko shivered at the thought, it wasn't a novelty for them, but it managed to scare her to the core every single time, although in that moment her concern was on another matter at hand.

"Menma?" she looked at her brother that raised an eyebrow at her in question, he turned to face her, he was a few steps ahead of her, and he raised an eyebrow, wondering why she still hadn't moved her feet.

"I am afraid I can't walk without support, my feet are paralyzed"

Menma looked at her shoes, and his eyes widened at her choice of footwear, and he couldn't hold in his laughter, Naruko growling lowly at him, her family was totally crazy a whack job, withbher mother dragging a grown man inside a building, and her brother laughing hysterically at her in the middle of the street.

"Very funny, can you return to your serious and brooding expression now?"

The black haired teen's laughter died down a bit, and turned to low occasional chuckles.

"Did your fairy godmother give you uncomfortable shoes, Cinderella?" he was having fun, and Naruko was losing her patience, of all times her twin had to discover his humorous side in the worst moment. She was in kind of a hurry to get to the party, and eat something, and sit down on a uncomfortable chair for the rest of the evening, and then kill Deidara, aka fairy godmother from hell, for forcing those traps he called shoes on her.

Obviously she wanted to see Itachi, actually it was her first thought, she was eager to know what he thought about her makeover.

"Stop it you idiot! We need to get to the party, do you want mom to come and drag us in like she did with dad? You know she will if we don't hurry"

That was enough to make him serious again, and she shoot him a warning glance in case he decided to be act as a moron again.

"All right Cinderella, let's go, your little slave mouse will escort you safely to the ball and in the waiting arms of your prince charming"

Naruko blushed at her brother's choice of words, as he hooked her arm with his, helping her keep her balance. He wasn't very wrong in the imaginary picture he had created, she did feel like Cinderella going to the ball.

"You're having your fair share of fun aren't ya?" she croaked, her voice feeling a little constricted with emotion, as she felt her heartbeat fasten his pace with every step toward the Uchiha building lit up for the party.

"Hmm, yeah. But I am not surprised you look so charming, you have always been beautiful, even without all that shit on your face"

She looked at her brother, although they were twins, he still managed to be taller than her, but with the heels, they were almost at the same level, so she could look straight in his blue eyes and smiled at him

"So you know how to be nice sometimes, Hinata must be rubbing off on you"

She gave a pleased smirk when she noticed the slight blush on his cheeks, it was a rare sight.

"Maybe, she's amazing"

Naruko smiled at the way his eyes softened when she mentioned the Hyuga, it was warm and she felt happy for her sibling.

"Hey, what do I see! you're not dying your hair anymore!" she widened her eyes at the blonde roots that were growing under all the black, he usually never let them see the light.

"Yeah, I think there's no use for it anymore"

"It was about time, I always thought you looked better with your original hair color, you looked rather stupid with that black hair"

"You break my heart, I thought I looked hot and mysterious"

"Really, I thought you would have figured it out by now"

Menma rolled his eyes at her, while they slowly headed for the building, Naruko looking as if she was in pain.

"You guys, what are you doing? We are already late!"

Kushina apparently had noticed her children were missing, and Menma accelerated his steps a bit, and was almost tempted to gather his sister in his arms and take her in, it would be uncomfortable and probably not very elegant, but it would get them in there sooner, he was eager to see Hinata too after all.

"Sorry mom, Naruko is slow like an old lady with rheumatism"

Said blonde girl, nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, scoffing at him, she wasn't that slow! She just needed to get used to her feet being cramped up in such uncomfortable shoes, she wished that she would have listened to her inner voice when it tried to convince her to wear sneakers instead, and to hell with the polished look.

The red headed woman narrowed her eyes at them, and Menma swallowed loudly, and leaning towards his sister's ear, whispered lowly.

"Where is dad?" he looked around for their other parent, a little concerned.

"I don't know, but we best move it, or she is going to drag us in there too"

Kushina watched them silently with her hands on her hips, and when they finally got to her, the small family gathered in the elevator, where they reunited with Minato, who was patiently keeping it open for them. He looked fine, although the tip of his left ear was still a little red.

They stepped in, it was huge so they could stand comfortably and not be cramped in all against each other.

Naruko's heart started to speed up again, as she kept fixing the hem of her skirt nervously, her hands shaking slightly, until Minato took one of them in his, and he smiled down kindly at her.

"Naruko I wanted to apologize to you" her father was still smiling softly, his expression similar to hers, and her eyes widened a little bit.

"I realize I have been a little…overbearing lately"

"Yeah… a little" Menma snickered, earning an evil glare from their mother that silenced him immediately.

"It's ok dad" Naruko knew that if he kept that up she would reach to top floors blubbering like a hormonal teenager after the ending of Titanic.

"No, it's not. I have always been a little more overprotective towards you. It's just that, when you were born, well, you weren't as healthy as Menma was, we feared we were going to lose you, but you, you fought for your life, like the fighter you are, and when we finally were allowed to leave the hospital, I swore to myself that I would always protect you, and I watched you grow into the beautiful woman you are. It's just hard to accept that in a few more years, you won't need me anymore, and will have someone else to cherish and protect you."

"Dad I will always need you" she hugged him tightly, and he hugged her back, his eyes a little teary.

Menma smiled at the scene, an actual smile, and Kushina teared up a little too.

"We love you both so much" Minato pulled his son for a hug, his family was everything to him, he would do anything for them, even give up his life if needed, and he was an affectionate father, he would probably hug his children until he died.

The sweet family moment was interrupted by the elevator doors ringing as they opened, on the patio, since the elevator got directly to the last floor. The lights and the soft buzz of people talking came from the little foyer that stood between them.

"It's time to go, we're already late, Fugaku will have my head"

He grinned, rubbing the back of his head with his hand, linking his other arm with Kushina's.

"So, 'Ruko are you ready?" Menma asked, offering his arm to his twin, that smiled brightly at him, a determined expression on her face.

"More than I'll ever be!"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi was standing with Shisui and Deidara, ignoring what they were blabbering about, and not curious to find out at all. Impatience grazed his features as his eyes drifted often towards the entrance, where he was expecting to see Naruko appear at any minute now. He had been waiting for her since the beginning of that evening, he was already frustrated that he unlike Sasuke that had gone to pick up Sakura, and was isolating himself with her, in a poorly lit angle, he couldn't go and pick Naruko up himself, since he was required at the party. Apparently he was a big attraction, especially for women, about a dozen of him had tried to ambush him as soon as he was left alone, almost throwing themselves at him, dressed in skimpy little things, that he was wondering who had left them leave their house that way, and he realized he was viewed as an eligible bachelor, finally understanding what it truly meant. He couldn't blame Madara for being such an asocial person, he had been undergoing this torture for years, being unmarried and filthy rich, he attracted the worst type of leeches, and now it was his turn, and he wasn't really looking forward to that.

That was why he was now sticking with his friends, they wouldn't bother while he was with other people, and he hoped Naruko would show up soon, his nerves were already on a thin thread.

He had even tried calling her, already knowing it would be worthless, since, much to his annoyance, she always forgot to charge the damn thing, and was off most of the times, or forgotten somewhere.

"Don't brood little cousin, your lady will show up soon"

Shisui was a master in reading Itachi and knew very well what he was feeling or thinking. His glare drifted to a group of girls that were looking in their direction, and he quickly grabbed Hana by the waist to fend off any eventual fangirl, winking at the group, that stalked off.

He was too considered a good party being an Uchiha, and Hana pinched his cheek, huffing at the him, the situation was unnerving her.

"I hope she does" he put his left hand on his pocket, and with the right pushed his bangs out of his face, with a groan.

"I don't think you will have to wait longer, just wait till you see her"

Deidara was anticipating the moment Itachi would see Naruko all dolled up, Sakura had shown the blonde a picture with just the make up, and he knew the full effect would be even better.

"You're creeping me out with that grin" Sasori muttered with an annoyed glare directet at his stupid, but incredibly sexy with that outfit.

Itachi didn't listen to the rest of that conversation, he couldn't even if he had cared enough to do so, his attention was completely directed at the blonde beauty that had just arrived, his eyes widened immediately as soon as he took in her appearance, swallowing loudly,his throat suddenly dry. His heart, he was sure of it, lost a beat, and his palms started to sweat exactly like a teenager's would do which was quite embarrassing, so he dried them on his pants with subtlety.. He was quite sure he looked like an idiot with his mouth agape and eyes wide as saucers, but he did feel a little justified in the back of his mind, because she looked so damn gorgeous, that he felt like he was hallucinating or something. He pinched his arm and was relieved when he felt the slight bout of pain, meaning that it was real, he was thankful for that, it helped him come back to reality.

He ignored Shisui's low whistle and Deidara's grinning, concentrated only on the blonde that was smiling at him, making some heads turn as she passed by, making Itachi's possessiveness kick in, and he decided to walk up to her to make it clear to everyone that she was off limits. He jus hoped everyone got the message, it would be a bother if they didn't.

"Itachi!" she smiled at him almost tripping on ber feet, fortunately Menma caught her, letting out a chuckle, making Itachi realize that was he was there too, and that she had been leaning in her brother all that time. He hadn't noticed him at all, almost everything around him with the exception of the blonde, was all blurred out for him at the moment.

"Prince Charming, I entrust my sister to you, I gotta go and find my damsel in distress"

Itachi blinked out of his daze, and met her blue eyes that were still on him with concern, and he smiled softly at her causing her own lips to tilt upwards in a matching motion.

"Prince Charming?" he raised a brow at Menma, that shrugged waving at them as he left to look for Hinata.

"Just forget about him, he thinks he's funny"

Itachi nodded, it made sense, Menma was a type of guy with a weird sense of humor, just like his brother.

"Itachi?" the blonde beauty claimed his attention again, and he immediately gave it to her, looking at her, noticing that she was almost tall as him, and he raised a brow at the shoes she was wearing.

"Hey…so, whatta ya think?" she asked and a lovely shade of red surfaced on her cheeks, and he stroked them with his fingers, a faint blush matching his own for once. That dress just made his blood boil. He didn't know if he could manage to stand all night close to her without certain thoughts fogging his mind. He needed to keep his concentration high.

"Breathtaking. You are always beautiful to me, but this…I don't have words to describe it"

She hooked her arm around his happily, leaning her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her softly on the head.

"So you prefer me all dressed up like this?" she looked at him from under her long lashes, her insecurities surfacing again, and he looked down at her with a small chuckle.

"You are so silly sometimes, I like you despite of what you're wearing"

He kissed her forehead, and rested his hand on her back, eyes widening again when he realized he wasn't touching material but Naruko's soft skin. He quietly stepped back, and gave a quick check at the back of the dress, noticing the big gap, that left a good portion of the girl's back exposed to his hungry eyes, the temptation of that bronzed skin was too much, and he wondered if she was trying to kill him or simply drive him mad.

"So, who was it that kindly suggested for you to wear this…dress"

"It was me! Who else according to you could have better taste than me?" Deidara beamed at him, and Itachi sighed, he should have figured it out earlier, after all she had gone with the crazy artist shopping.

"You are so screwed" Shisui whispered behind the blond man, that slapped him on the back of the head.

Naruko and Itachi ignored them,

"You don't like it?" she asked innocently, worried he might be mad for her choice of clothing.

"It's quite the opposite actually." He ran his fingers along her spine, smirking at the small shivers that went through her body.

"So you like it?"

He gave her a little wicked smile and leaned in to whisper in her ear

"Don't tempt me little girl or I will show you exactly how much I like it"

Upon hearing that, Naruko felt heat flash across her body at his heated gaze, she didn't even noticed someone was calling her, and Itachi straighten his back immediately putting some distance between them moving his hand from her back, letting it slide along her arm, reaching her own hand and entwining their fingers.

His dark eyes were focused on their mothers, who were walking to them with big smiles on their faces, and he was convinced they had a camera hidden somewhere.

"Here you are! We were looking for you two, you look so cute together, don't they Kushina?"

Mikoto Uchiha was literally squealing in delight at them, and Naruko couldn't do much other than smile gently at the woman. In all the commotion, she had forgot that her's and Itachi's parents were at the party as well.

Kushina nodded, her lips turned in a big grin, and she looked directly at Itachi that raised a brow in question at the woman, aside from his first date witj Naruko, where she had appeared from the window, this was the first time he could finally meet her. She must have been thinking the same because she stepped up to him with a big grin.

"We haven't met properly yet, I'm Kushina Namikaze, I am very happy to meet you, Itachi"

Naruko let out a breath of relief, at least her mother was behaving well, not letting her inner fangirl to jump on her boyfriend.

"I am happy too, it was long over due" he answered back offering her his hand, but she waved it off, going in for a hug, catching him and everyone else by surprise, except Naruko, who rolled her eyes at the her mother's bold move.

"No need to be so formal! We are practically family" she grinned at him, once she let go, he didn't know what to say, and simply blinked at the woman, he wasn't the emotional type, and wasn't used to people hugging him so easily, but, if he could tell from Kushina's soft chuckle, it didn't look like she minded.

"Mom…" Naruko wanted to escape from that situation, dragging her boyfriend away with her, maybe they could sneak away from that party too, exactly like they had done last time.

"Kushina you are embarrassing him" Minato wound his arm around her shoulders to keep her from assaulting the young man again. He still looked a little traumatized.

"Itachi, excuse my wife she gets carried away with her emotions. How are you doing?" Minato smiled kindly at him, which was another surprise for the the black haired man, since Minato usually was far from amicable with him.

"Mr Namikaze, It's nice to see you" he shook the hand that was offered to him with a small smile of his own.

"You can call me Minato, after all, like my wife just said, we are family"

Itachi gaped in surprise at the man, wondering if he had banged his head somewhere, or what had caused the change in personality.

Minato must have understood what he was thinking because he patted him in the back, a big grin on his lips his eyes looking at him in amusement, and Itachi for a second thought that the man was probably messing with him.

"No need to look at me like that, Itachi. I trust my daughter's decisions, and you are one of them. I am sure Naruko is in good hands"

Naruko beamed at both him and her father, and the Uchiha had to admit, he felt like a big burden was lifted off his shoulders. He didn't know how important having his approval was.

"I appreciate it Minato" he spoke sure himself, smiling at the blonde man that nodded in return, eyes shiny as he looked at his daughter's happy face.

Naruko's happiness was the most important thing for both of them.

Fugaku walked to them, a relieved look on his face, and he smiled at the young couple.

"We can head to the dining room now, apparently the star of the evening is here, finally"

888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko gasped when she walked into the ballroom still holding on to Itachi's hand that chuckled at her reaction. They were just waiting there for everyone to come in, so they could meet their friends, while other people went around looking for their place to sit, getting themselves comfortable for the long night.

"This place is so…wow!" her eyes couldn't stay in one ace for too long, there was just to much to take in.

"Wow…yes I think it's the perfect word" Itachi himself couldn't hide his surprise, whoever had planned it had goje out of their way to make the place look magnificent, and a tad creepy with the round tables decorated in rich red and black, Uchiha's favorite colors, and color of the logo of the company.

The ballroom had been decorated with so many flowers that the whole place smelled like a flower shop, and Naruko was sure Madara Uchiha had bought out the whole Yamanaka's shop. Uchiha fans were painted on all the walls and on the corners, huge ice sculptures stood elegantly and slightlt terrifying.

Deidara had scoffed when he had seen them, failing to hide his disdain to the crowd.

"And they call that art! that's not art! Even a kid could do that! Damn it, even Sasori could do better than that" he sent the sculpture a menacing look, as if he could melt it with one look.

"I am not sure if I should feel offended or flattered by that comment" the red head sighed, his boyfriend had some weird ways to compliment him after all.

"Look at how it's melting! I could have made this statue in clay, and it would have been a hell of a lot better than…whatever this is!"

Itachi raised a brow at the sculpture, he had to agree with Deidara there, it did look kind of creepy, especially since it represented one of those little fat angels and he wasn't sure it fitted well in the same room with Madara.

Sasori rolled his eyes, he was getting a headache and people werr starting to stare at them, not that he cared, but he didn't really feel like enduring one of his boyfriend's tantrums in that moment. Usually because it never ended well.

His hazel eyes caught the small object in Deidara's hand and with a loud snort the red head jumped behind the blond, his expression a silent warning for the artist, that grimaced at the gesture.

"You are not going to make it explode, let's go, that's our table!"

Sasori literally shoved the blonde artist away from the damn thing before he could really attack it with his crazy little firecrackers. Itachi wasn't surprised, he brought those things anywhere, it was like an addiction.

"Damn it, I would have paid to see him wreck havoc in this place, see a bunch of terrified Uchiha run all over the place"

Shisui laughed looking at the openly pouting artist sitting patiently in his chair.

"You are so mean towards your own kin" Itachi though had a small smile in his lips, but he would never admit it would have really have been a fun scene to assist too.

"Shisui, my mother is waiting for us at our table" Hana huffed from next to him and pointed towards the table next to the one where Deidara and Sasori were accommodating themselves and that was between the one where Itachi and Naruko would sit and theirs.

"Your mother?" his eyes widened when he noticed Tsume Inuzuka talking cheerfully with his mother. That vision terrified him down right to the core, and he wished he could run away. Of course Hana caught up to that thought immediately, and narrowed her eyes at him, her hands on her hips.

"Yes my mother." She muttered, rolling her eyes at his panicked expression.

"Didn't she despise the Uchiha? Why is she here?" he croaked, much to Itachi's amusement, and Hana sighed, plotting on how she could drag him to their place without causing a scene.

"She only openly despises Madara" she specified through gritted teeth, not noticing her brother walking over to them.

"Hey Shisui! We are waiting for you at the table man!" Kiba patted him on the back, with a big grin, almost scaring the poor Uchiha that hadn't seen him.

"Kiba, man you have to help me!" he grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, and the poor teen looked at his furious sister, and then back at the older man.

"Man, my mother has managed to terrify another man, do you know that our father left for the same reason? It was actually my mother's strong personality that made him run for his life" he explained with a chuckle.

"Kiba! You shouldn't say such things! If mom knows you tell people that she will ground you for years you idiot!" Hana's gaze than moved on to Shisui.

"And you! I will add another month as your own punishment just for that! I am going over to my mother! You better come over soon if you don't want to see the number increase" she stomped away ignoring Shisui's yelps and Kiba's laughter.

"Ugh…fine I will be there shortly. Jeez… how am I going to make it for two months!'" He turned to Itachi that had kept quiet till that moment.

"Do you have any ideas cousin?" he smirked resting a hand on the raven's shoulder, that he was very quick to remove, almost making him lose balance

"If you treasure your manhood, you better start running or I will change your gender for you" Itachi smirked at the elder's panicked expression. He knew Itachi was a man that kept his word, and that was best not to anger.

"Shisui, you really can't keep that mouth o yours shut sometimes!" the blonde girl laughed at his distress. Served him right for teasing her precious Itachi.

"Naruko! Dude I didn't recognize you! You look really hot! I would have hit on you too if I knew you could pull all this hotness out!"

"Kiba you idiot!" Naruko punched him on the head, cheeks flushed, she hated that her friends had to make such embarrasing comments. She didn't really want them to see her differently than how she usually was just because of a nice dress.

Kiba grinned at the blonde girl, but Itachi cleared his throat, annoyed by the younger teen's enthusiasm, pulling Naruko closer to him. She raised her gaze to look at his face, furrowing her brows at the barely visible frown

"Man, you're suicidal" Shisui commented noticing Itachi's expression, and the brown haired teen, immediately backed down, putting his arms in front of him in an innocent gesture, mindfull of the Uchiha's threat to Shisui's manhood, and he surely didn't want to suffer the same threat.

"I was just kidding, obviously, I've got my own hot girl." He grinned, and Itachi raised a brow at that, it didn't help calm down his nerves though, but he dismissed the boy with a signature "hn".

"Yeah, we know dog breath, don't get your panties in a twist"

"You might look like a lady, but your mouth is always the same 'Ruko"

The blonde girl grinned at that, and Itachi tightened his grip on her waist, looking towards the small stage that had been set up in front of a little dance floor.

"I think Madara will make his announcement soon. We should go at our table"

Shisui sighed patting Kiba on the arm

"We should go to, or those women will skin us alive. How did you survive with those two crazy women all this time?"

They heard him ask the younger boy, as they walked away, Naruko raising a brow at the two.

"They will give Hana one hell of a time"

"Hn, true"

"You know, you didn't need to be so mean to Kiba earlier. I think you scared him"

"I didn't mean to" he answered quickly, although it was a lie, because it was exactly what he had wanted to do. He didn't like it when other men looked at her in such ways, even if they were her friends. He was jealous, there was nothing he could do about that.

"Just…try and be less intimidating. You were perfect at Shikamaru's the other time"

He sighed, she didn't understand that he acted that way because he was scared of losing her.

"I will try" he would, if it meant making her happy. After all, he couldn't let his jealousy and possessiveness to ruin what they had.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me"

He smiled at her, and leaned down leaving a quick kiss on her lips

"Now, I believe we need to go and take our seat, dinner is starting soon"

"Good, I'm starving"

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"This food is so delicious!" Naruko couldn't help herself, it was just so good, she ate every single thing that the waiters brought, making Sasuke gag at her in disgust, and Menma felt it like a personal mission to double his sister, stealing food from the younger Uchiha's plate, that thanks to his pickiness didn't try to stop him, since half of his plates remained almost intact.

Itachi didn't say anything, he didn't really want to encourage the weird competition in any way, limiting himself to simply act as a spectator listening to Fugaku's and Minato's conversation about how the dealings with Sabaku were going, and his curiosity peeked when he heard them mention Akatsuki. Apparently Yahiko was there that evening, and he was surprised he hadn't met his orange haired friend or his partners.

"Naruko dear, I was wondering would you be interested in coming house shopping with me?"

Naruko swallowed the piece of meat she had devoured and stared at her 'mother in law' that was smiling sweetly at her.

"House shopping?" She asked raising a brow in wonder, questioning why she wanted her to go along.

"Yes dear, for Itachi's new place. Men don't really know what a house needs, and you are very young, and need someone instructing you. Me and your mother were just talking about it"

Naruko looked at Itachi, he had mentioned that he wanted her to choose some of the furniture, but to go with his mother, made her feel like she was already being welcomed into the Uchiha family as a daughter in law, in some official way. She didn't find it displeasing, just really nerve wrecking.

"I…guess…well sure! Of course I would like to!"

"Very well! Sakura dear you are welcomed to come too, I think it's time we get to know each other better"

Sakura stared at her almost in shock, and Sasuke almost choked on his water, falling into a coughing fit.

"Teme breathe" Naruko patted him on the back under Itachi's amused gaze.

"Little brother it's nothing to panic about" Of course they were both in the same situation, so he couldn't really help him there.

"You're one to talk, next thing she will have them call her 'mother' and deciding the date of our weddings, oh wait, she is already doing that for you!"

This time it was Naruko's time to choke on something, and Itachi patted her on the back, rolling his eyes at his brother.

"What?" she looked at her own mother that simply grinned at that, not denying Sasuke's words.

"What? A wedding takes a long time to plan!" Kushina defended herself, and Menma looked at his mother, his mouth hanging open at her.

"I hope you're not doing that with me!" he pointed his finger at his mother, and she rolled her eyes at her son.

"Who cares about that! you're really planning our wedding? Mom! I'm seventeen and Itachi and I have been together only a month! I still have a lot of things to do before that happens! And besides, you don't even know if he would want to marry me and-"

"Calm down Naruko, we obviously only talked about it, we would like for that to happen, I won't deny that, and after all it would be after you graduate from college"

"Yes Naruko dear, there is absolutely no pressure on you two" Mikoto gently said, eyeing her son.

Itachi raised a brow at that, he didn't like them meddling with their future either, but he couldn't deny he did like the plan, it sounded almost reasonable despite the madness that caused it.

"oh, that makes it so much better" she rolled her eyes at her mother, that simply frowned at that.

Right in that moment, Madara stepped onto the stage, a bright smile, and his hair tied back and in order for once, he looked less scary like that, Itachi thought.

"I would like your attention just for a couple of minutes, I promise I won't make one of those long boring speeches businessman seem to ne so fond of"

He smiled at the crowd, and some cheers hailed from the tables, and the Uchiha raised his hand as to thank them, he almost looked like an actor receiving an award, and with the polished look and the tamed hair he almost looked like someone else.

"I took the reins of this business when my father Tajima passed, leaving everything in my and my brother's Izuna hands, and we did our best to make it grow into the big renowned company it is today, and I am sure it will keep going strong, in my nephew's wise hands."

He paused for a second, and he raised his hand again, pointing towards the table where Itachi and the others were sitting.

"I, Madara Uchiha, have fulfilled my duty as Ceo and president of Uchiha corps. I feel my time is finished. The company needs a younger leader, someone that has the energy and recklessness of young age. That is why I choose my nephew, Itachi Uchiha to take my place from tomorrow on"

Said Uchiha's eyes widened, his hold on Naruko's hands gripping tighter as she smiled proudly at him. He felt all eyes on him, and he knew he wasn't being paranoid. Every head in the room was turned to him.

"Come on stage Itachi, I am sure you would like to share a few words of your own"

Itachi sighed, he hated being in the center of attention, he felt like going into hiding, and he really wished he could turn invisible, because it didn't matter how calm and composed he really looked, he was a shy person underneath it all.

He turned to meet Naruko's gaze that was smiling sweetly at him, something like pride and adoration marked her expression, and his lips tilted upwards in a barely noticeable smile.

"Go Itachi, kill'em with one of your speeches!"

Sasuke showed his fist to his brother, he felt his chest swell with pride at his older brother, but maybe his words didn't have the right effect, everyone turned to look at him with a shocked expression, mainly because he never showed his enthusiasm, so that was the primary motive.

"I didn't mean literally!" he pouted, and Sakura couldn't muffle her giggles, making him give her the evil eye, a reminder he was still mad at her.

"I sure hope you didn't"

"Yeah Teme, we wouldn't want Itachi to be marked as a criminal for murdering his family, you would probably survive the massacre and go into a revenge frenzy mode, and I would be the only one able to stop you since I'm the only one that has the patience to deal with you"

Everyone turned at the blonde haired girl. She was nervous and had started rambling about the first thing that came her mind.

"What?"

"That was pretty specific" Itachi smirked, getting up to walk on stage, but not before turning to his brother with a grin.

"I appreciate your encouragement, but I will kill'em with words another time" he smirked at Sasuke, and tapped his forehead with his index finger, ignoring his brother's protest, and giving one last smile to his girlfriend, he walked to the stage.

"What does that mean?" she asked obviously referring to the gesture the brothers had shared.

The younger Uchiha's eyes widened, his eyes staring into the blonde's that raised an eyebrow at Sasuke's reaction to her question. She didn't think it would draw such a reaction in her friend.

"He does it to you too?"

He looked kind of jealous, and she almost felt guilty for asking him. She did feel Itachi had neglected his brother for her in the last period, although she knew her friend didn't resent her for it, she did feel she was stealing Itachi away from him.

"Only happened twice, and we weren't together at the time" she was quick to explain, he had other ways of showing her he cared for her now, and it was better than a tap on the forehead, for her at least.

"Hn, I don't really care"

He might not show it but she knew he did

She hid her smile with the palm of her hand, and gave the Uchiha a cheeky look. He growled irritably, and turned his attention to the stage.

"Shut up now dobe, Itachi is speaking"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"A great speech! It will live through the ages to be reminded by mankind for his greatness!" Shisui raised his glass, his sarcasm was unnerving, and Itachi's eye twitched at Deidara's snickering.

"Shut up Shisui, I wasn't prepared, no one told me I had to give a speech"

Itachi had made a fool of himself in front of thousands of people, he hadn't really known what to say, and he muttered something like ' thank you for coming' before running down the stage looking for something strong and full of alcohol other than a good place to hide.

Naruko had gone to look for her friends, she still hadn't seen them since her arrival, and Itachi although his desire to stay close to her to scare whoever even thought of approaching her, had thought best to let her go, after his display of jealousy he didn't want her to think he didn't trust her. It wasn't her he didn't trust, but the rest of the male species wondering freely around the room.

"Itachi, great speech you gave up there" Kisame had found his way over there too, and patted the Uchiha on the back with a grin, making Itachi grunt in annoyance.

"Who's the pretty lady that had the guts to go out with you?" Deidara didn't care about Itachi's uneasiness, he went straight to the point, especially when it was something he could gossip about later. Not that anyone was complaining if it finally took the blonde's attention away from the ice sculptures.

"Oh, this is Ayame" the pale skinned man said, introducing his date, his gruff voice and lack of manners weren't really surprising to everyone, they were mostly shocked because the girl didn't seem to mind the lack of consideration.

"You're the girl that works at ichiraku's!" the Uchiha recognized her, lately he had gone to the place more times than he had wished to, he was sure he would even notice the minimum change if they ever went there.

"How in the hell did you guys meet?" Kisame avoided most restaurants because they served fish, and since his affection for the creatures he refused to eat any of them or walk into places that cooked them. Sasori had once made the acute observation that if he thought that way, than he maybe should avoid getting out of his house at all, since everyone ate fish in Japan, and eventually had to cook it in their houses.

"Well, it's a funny story actually" she chuckled covering her pretty face with one hand, the other holding onto Kisame's left arm.

"I think it was our common hate for sushi" she started looking a the man with a sweet smile, anyone could notice she really liked the weird man.

Itachi couldn't believe it, he had to find Naruko, he knew she would adore this. After all it was the blonde's fault, she had been the one to introduce him and his friends to Ichiraku 's.

"I knew I wanted to date her when she showed me her aquarium, she has the most adorable clown fish in there"

"Clown fish? Are you serious?" Deidara was the only one that could ask that kind of question without worrying about being rude.

"What kind of fish is thay anyway?" Kisame sent the blonde a evil glare, but Ayame was oblivious to the exchange, and smiled at the artist.

Oh, have you ever seen the Finding Nemo movies?"

Everyone turned to look at Kisame with a raised eyebrow

"What the fuck is 'Finding Nemo? Some sort of disney movie?"

"Would you guys stop making fun of them? You are such dumbassess sometimes. I would expect that from you two, but you Itachi?" Hana was giving all of them the evil eye, and Shisui swallowed loudly.

"I didn't even speak!"

"Please, don't add another month to my punishment" Shisui begged her his hands clasped, he was desperate, and didn't care how pathetic he looked.

"You see, that's why I say women are evil, look at how whipped that poor man is! Hana have you no shame?" Deidara looked at the Inuzuka with a raised eyebrow and his arns crossed on his chest, disapproving.

"Do I have to remind you that you use the same method with me? isn't that considered cruel as well?". Sasori piped in, not really proud of the fact, but if it could get him out of future punishments than his pride could go to hell.

"It's different!"

Itachi couldn't really handle all of that confusion on his own. It was late, and he was a little inebriated, so he decided it was wise to go and retrieve his girlfriend.

He slowly made his way across the big hall looking around through the crowd, he was unluckily caught by his other uncle Izuna, that apparently had been left alone by the Senju, but he noticed him staring at them not that far away from them.

"Itachi, you having a good evening?" he kindly asked, and he looked like he really cared to know, his eyes holding a hint of concern in them.

"Of course uncle, just a little mortified, I wasn't really prepared for a speech"

Izuna smiled and looked at him in the eyes, he had always been the more gentle of the Uchiha brothers, Itachi had took from him at least, everyone seemed to think so.

"Hn, I see. Madara can really pull off these kind of things with no warning" he looked a little bothered by some thing, and Itachi was surprised, he had said his brother's name with a hint of fury. It was uncommon for Izuna.

"I don't understand."

"I really need to talk to you, Itachi, but this is nor place nor the moment for that."

The younger Uchiha looked at is uncle, wondering what he wanted to discuss with him, his curiosity pressing for more information, but he knew Izuna was right. This was no place for that.

"Tomorrow in my office"

The elder nodded in approval, his gaze slipping from Itachi to the white haired man that was now huffing in anbiyance at something. That seemed to put Izuna in some kind of alarm, because he turned again to his nephew with a soft apologizing smirk.

"Fine with me. I should go now, Tobirama looks a little uneasy, Madara is probably close"

"What kind of relationship is exactly between you two?" he knew asking like that was kind of rude, but he had tried to uncover the secret for all night, Madara openly despised the other man, and Izuna looked like he was caught between the two. He wasn't stupid, his uncle had never married, and had never brought anyone home to meet the family. It looked like the Senju was the reason for that. It would sure be a valid reason for Madara's hatred towards the man.

"You're smart, I'm sure you've already figured it out"

He smirked and left without adding another word. Itachi though couldn't help but wonder if his parents were aware of the real reason why Madara hated the Senju.

He didn't dwell too much on it though, as his attention was diverted on another feminine voice that sounded a lot like his missing girlfriend's.

He didn't have to look for her that much, she was near the restrooms and she was apparently arguing with someone, her expression look angered, and she looked like she was arguing with someone.

He got closer, and her words made him stop in his tracks, eues widening as he listened.

"Hey! I told you I already have a boyfriend! I am really not interested in you, so you better put that through your thick skull!"

He noticed then who her anger was directed at and he felt his blood rush through him, as anger flooded through him, and he tried to keep calm, it seemed like she was handling it well on her own, although the desire to smash his fist on the bastard's face was pretty strong.

"I know you are just trying to say that to get me to go out with you, I know the tricks you ladies use, and let me say it worked, let me offer you a drink"

The dark skinned man, was grinning at a bewildered Naruko, that didn't know what to do anymore to free herself from the advances of that man. He pull his lollipop put of his mouth, smiling brightly at her, making her even more repelled by the sight. Everyone knew how he was, he thought he was irresistible and that women would die to go out for him, even to the point they would commit suicide if he wouldn't give in, but never he had found such a beauty like Naruko, and he was convinced the blonde was rejecting him to look more desirable in his eyes.

"Are you stupid? What kind of an idiot would set up something like that? I really have a boyfriend!"

"Omoi, you're acting ridiculous now" another woman that looked a lot like him was trying to shoe hin away, even thinking of resorting to beat him to the pulp if there was no other way.

"You are so gracious, such beauty flows in you. Come here now, don't be shy!"

He grabbed her arms, pulling her towards him, and one ofnl his ends ended dangerously close to her butt.

Her eyes widened, and she could smell the man's breath that smelled strongly of alcohol, he must be pretty drunk.

She didn't have much time to react though, because the man's body was fastly pushed away from hers, and she blinked recognizing immediately Itachi's figure.

"Get away from her you piece of shit!" his voice was low and sounded more like a growl than actual words

She immediately gasped, upon hearing the sound of the collision between Itachi's fist and Omoi's face, the younger man almost knocked out by the single fist.

"Try and touch her again I am going to finish you"

Naruko got in between them, trying to pry her boyfriend's attention away from the man, putting her own body in the middle, her blue eyes set on the Uchiha.

"What are you trying to do? don't you see he's knocked out?" Shocked by the action, Naruko turned, the woman from before took the man away, and someone was talking about getting him to the hospital. She didn't really care, but she was glad someone took care of him. She had Itachi to deal with now, and she was more concerned about that, selfishly maybe, but that guy had brought it upon himself, so she couldn't get herself to be really worried for him.

"He was harassing you, and managed to touch you!" he looked furious and a completely different person with his black eyes dilated and his hair slightly messed up, it made the girl wonder just how upset he was.

"I am not a delicate doll Itachi! I was handling this perfectly well on my own!"

He scoffed at her words, which angered her even more.

"I could see that! You didn't look like you were really trying!" he was out of his mind. Here he was, thinking he had did the right thing defending his girlfriend and she was there yelling at him blaming him for punching the idiot that had dared to touch her.

"What? What is your problem Itachi! Do you think I was enjoying it? Do you not trust me?"

"Of course I trust you! Why would you even doubt that!"

"Because it didn't look like it five seconds ago!"

She was exasperated, why were they both making such a big deal about it?

They were drawing attention now, as both their voices rose. She was beyond pissed now, and he was angry and confused, and he wanted to punch something.

"I don't like people touching what is mine" his answer was not what she expected, she looked taken aback and hesitant in her answer. She looked incredibly sad now, he didn't think he ever saw her that vulnerable.

"So you deem me as your property. Is that all I am to you?"

He understood now, she had obviously mistaken his words, and it did sound terrible in the way she had interpreted it. It wasn't a way to justify himself, she was obviously more to him than that. He loved her, did it really take so little to makd her doubt him?

He passed a hand through his hair in a desperate gesture, his eyes still on her.

"That's not what I meant!" he tried to defend himself. He didn't want to lose her over some stupid comment.

"It seemed to me that's exactly what you meant! I could have understood, if you had said something like, I didn't want him to hurt you, or I was terribly jealous I could have understood! Exactly like with Kiba earlier" he battled his eyelashes, she looked beautiful, even in her fits of rage, he was nearly losing her, and the only thing he could think about was how much he wanted to grab her and take her away from there, and kiss her senseless. He probably wasn't in the right state of mind for that though.

"Naruko-"

"No! I don't want to hear anything else you have to say, I…I think I need a little fresh air"

She sent him a last hurt look, before disappearing from his sight. He didn't think about following her, he wanted to give her sometime on her own, so they both could cool down.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Sasuke was the first one that confronted him, looking at him as if he had gone crazy.

Almost everyone around them had gone back to their own affairs. Barely touched by the argument, fortunately it had happened in a little secluded place, so most of the people at the party hadn't assisted at the ugly fight.

"I…I don't know" he admitted, and the younger Uchiha sighed, It made him sad to his brother in such a state, but he couldn't really understand what it had got to him. Naruko was obviously in the wrong too, they both were, and still Itachi looked like he couldn't figure out how to fix it, he was willing himself to stay put where he was and not follow the blonde girl, although Sasuke could see it was driving him crazy.

They were quietly standing there one close to the other, in the dim light of the now empty patio. Itachi had needed some fresh air, and decided to find it there, hoping it would help him think clearly.

"I thought I might find you here"

A dark figure walked towards the two brothers that couldn't quite figure out who it was, but the feminine voice sounded familiar, especially to Itachi, that recognized it immediately.

"Izumi?"

The brown haired woman, walked up to him, her hand clutching her swollen belly, a small smile directed at the two brothers.

"Indeed, it's me" Sasuke stared at her stomach, and raised an eyebrow directed at Itachi, he didn't look surprised as he thought he would, so he figured his brother already knew.

"I didn't know you were….ehm" Sasuke looked away in shame, and she chuckled at him. He was such a dork with women, especially pregnant ones, it was like he had a phobia or something.

"Pregnant? Yeah, me and Genma are expecting our little girl in about four months" she beamed at the younger Uchiha, without even looking at Itachi, that didn't look like he was focused on their conversation anyway, but she couldn help peeking at him with a side glance.

"Sasuke, would you mind if I share a few words with your brother?"

"oh…sure, I have to go and find Sakura, congratulations, by the way" he was obviously feeling uneasy, so he couldn't wait

"Thank you"

She smiled warmly at the younger Uchiha, and he nodded, giving a last look at his brother that was still in the same position and with the same dull expression. He wondered for a second about what Izumi had to say to Itachi.

"What are you doing here?" The raven haired man had kept quiet up to that moment, his voice shaking Izumi up a bit, it sounded deeper in the night air.

"I wanted to see if you were all right. That was my excuse though, I really need to talk to you"

Itachi raised an eyebrow at that.

"I'm not in the best of moods right now"

"I know, I was in the bathroom, I heard everything. That's why I am here" She smiled up at him leaning on the railing of the balcony next to him, he blinked, taking her appearance in, as if he was looking at her for the first time. She looked more mature, and her face had gotten a little rounder, almost more maternal, exactly like her smile. She had really changed, from the teenager he had met in school. He wondered if he looked the same in her eyes.

Although he didn't have any feelings for her, he still held affection for her.

"You want to give me some advice?" he asked, his tone almost amused, but the situation held some kind of irony. At least for him.

"Actually I do. You were my best friend before we became something more, and I know, it might be weird for your ex girlfriend to want to help you in your new relationship, but I feel a little responsible for what you're feeling now"

"Izumi-"

"let me finish. I might not know Naruko, but I know you, and it's unlike you to act without thinking, unless you think there's a threat. What happened between us, let a scar on you, despite you not acknowledging it, you are afraid that one day Naruko might leave you for someone else"

"Like you did?"

"I am not proud of it Itachi, but you can't really control feelings. What I want to tell you is, from what I saw, she really loves you. She will never leave, if you don't give her a reason to. The most important thing in a relationship is respect and trust, you have to show her you trust her and let her step up for herself, leave her space to grow and be independent Itachi, she doesn't have to rely on you for every small thing. If she says she can handle something, wait until she asks for your help. Show her you trust her, that you believe in her. That's what love is, after all"

"So, that's why you left? You thought I was controlling?"

"Possessive maybe, but were very young when we got together Itachi, we grew apart. Sometimes it's just happens"

He sighed,realizing what she was trying to tell him, and he wanted to laugh for how stupid and blind he had been. Naruko could have perfectly handled the situation on her own, she was a trained martial arts student, she didn't really need him to defend her, and by stepping up, and accusing her of liking to be courted, he had showed his lack of trust and insecurities towards her. He was such a fool.

"I have acted like an idiot, haven't I?" he asked at the broen haired girl, she answered with a soft chuckle.

"Nothing that can't be fixed"

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"I can't believe him! Saying that- I -ugh!" she was nervously walking left to right, next to theoyer where the elevator was situated, she had took off her shoes, because they were killing her, and she didn't really care anymore to make an impression, the only thing she wanted, was to grab Itachi's head and slam it against the wall, and after she had let out her anger, maybe she could have forgiven him, but for now, she was blinded by her rage.

"Naruko, are you all right?"

She turned and almost gaped when she noticed who it was, it was the last person she was expecting to see.

"Gaara?"

The red head nodded as he walked closer to her, and leaning his back against the wall close to where she was standing.

He had to force down and remember not to have any particular reaction, despite him thinking she looked beautiful, in that dress, and admitting to himself he was not over her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked again, imitating him, but instead of standing she chose to sit with her back against the wall.

"I wanted to see if you were all right"

"Oh…so you saw that" she felt ashamed, knowing her friends had been spectators in her fight with Itachi, she hated that their first fight had been so public. It was something private and just theirs, something that should have been discussed differently, and when they weren't both so angry at each other.

" No one will judge you for it" he knew she might feel that way, and he wanted to reassure her. He hated seeing her so quiet and sad, it wasn't in her nature, and it didn't look normal for her to be so depressed.

"I would have never thought Itachi could react like that…he's always so calm"

Gaara hated to be the one to defend the Uchiha when he really wanted to hate him, but the fact was, that if Naruko had been his girlfriend and he would have seen someone force themselves on her like that guy had done, a punch in the face would have been the last of his worries.

All in all he couldn't really blame Itachi for the way he had acted.

"Look at it from his point of view. What would you have done if it had been him in your place and you saw a random woman forcing herself on him, would you have been able to think straight and act in a more reasonable way?"

Naruko stayed silent, but the way her brows shot up and her eyes widened, he could tell she was really starting to consider Itachi's feelings, and not only about her hurt pride. He knew one of the reasons Naruko had been so mad was because she was convinced she could have dealt with the man on her own. She wasn't use to someone taking care of her, she had always been a guy's girl, none of her friends had ever thought about defending her, she had always dealt with those kind of things on her own. Even in school, when she was being bullied, she had dealt with it on her own.

"Gaara…I'm an idiot! I have been so blind! But that doesn't justify that he said I'm his! As if I was some sort of toy, or or…" she sighed her head on her knees as she thought hardly about Itachi's words.

"You can be dense sometimes, but I'm sure he will understand if you explain it to him."

She jumped up gasping in realization, she had been so wrong, and so unfair to Itachi! He was an Uchiha after all, and she knew what she was getting into when she set her sights on him, they were all overbearing and possessive bastards, but she loved him for that side of him too, and she had been so so wrong accusing him.

"I need to find Itachi!"

"Go then, I saw him go out in the patio" Gaara smiled, trying to hide his heart breaking, Naruko seemed to have that effect on him, despite his decision to get over her, it was just hard to do so, especially when she was there in front of him, looking like the princess of a fairytale. Before leaving, she ran to him, enveloping him in a bear hug, that left him breathless.

"Thank you Gaara, you are my best friend"

He smiled, nodding softly, and after a second she was out of there, in the hurry to leave she had left her shoes behind, and the lasr thing the red head could do for her, was to pick them up, and shake his head at her hurry. He might never have her in the way he wished to, but he would always wish for one thing for her, he wanted her to be always as happy as she was now.

Naruko didn't really care, if people were staring at her as she ran like a missile through the crowded room, she wanted to get to Itachi, it was the only thing she wanted, smiling when she saw the patio, ignoring the murmurs and whispers and calls of her name as she passed, her mind set on her goal.

She finally reached the door, but when she opened it, her smile died down. Itachi was there, exactly like Gaara had said, but he wasn't alone, and that immediately stopped her in her tracks, her smile dying down, and the hurtful feeling in her chest, as if she had received a punch in the stomach.

He hadn't noticed her, and he was laughing with Izumi, about something.

She felt cheated, although he wasn't really doing anything wrong, the mere fact he was there apparently having enjoying the company, she had been desperate and sad because of their fight.

Maybe he felt relieved they had the fight, maybe he had already planned on leaving her and didn't know how to tell her, and she had served him the perfect excuse to break things up between them, so he could get back to that Izumi. Naruko in her saddened state, hadn't noticed the other girl's swollen stomach, so she had definitely gotten the wrong impression on the whole situation.

It felt like a deja-vu, they had already gone through a similar situation, and it had turned out well, that time, but Naruko hadn't felt so broken hearted, so hurt, and so so angry last time. It was a totally new feeling, something she wished she would never had to feel again.

A sob, broke through the silence, and Itachi finally noticed the blonde, his eyes immediately widening as he realized what exactly must be going through her mind, his own heart clenching at the hurt that transpired from her blue orbs, shiny with unshed tears.

"Naruko!" He called after her, but she was already gone.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Naruko ran out almost immediately, not giving the time to Itachi to justify himself or to apologize, if he had even considered doing so, and in her current mood, she didn't think he would do so. As she had thought earlier, he might even be glad to be rid of her.

She didn't feel like staying at the party, and didn't want to meet any of her friends, who would surely ask questions and make comments about her situation, or her appearance (Ino) and she was in no way feeling up to that, and the same with her parents. She would just walk home, it wasn't that far, and she was better off without those mortal traps she had been wearing, she had barely registered she was barefooted, and couldn't get herself to care. Now the important thing for her to do was to get to the elevator without being noticed, and that would be the most arduous thing to do, mostly because almost everyone knew who she

She walked amongst the crowd again, hiding behind people, and avoiding empty spaces, her head low, avoiding any type of eye contact, it was hard, but she was relieved when she saw the little foyer where she had gone earlier to cool down was closer now, the elevator just on the other side of the door, she was surprised she had actually managed to get out so easily.

She called for the elevator, praying for it to come soon, she really wanted to leave, she couldn't stand being there another minute, she needed to breathe fresh air and get her mind in order, and then resign herself that she might had just lost Itachi. It wasn't in her personality to give up so easily, not without a fight, not without giving her all into something, but what could she do when it was so obviously evident she had lost from the beginning? All she wished to do now, was get in bed, and be depressed. Heartbreak sure sucked.

"Naruko!" The deep voice sounded almost relieved, and she turned to face the same man she had been running away from, she had to admit she was surprised, she didn't think he would care enough to actually run after her. But here he was, looking at her with his dark eyes, and she almost felt like giving in, but she had to be strong, she couldn't let herself be fooled.

"What the hell are you doing here? Go back to your girlfriend, I am sure it's where you want to be anyway"

He took a few steps, towards her, and she instinctively backed into the wall next to the elevator's doors. Why was the damn thing taking so long anyway? She didn't really feel like confronting him, the more she stared at him , the angrier she got, her firey side flaring up inside of her, and she just didn't feel like she had enough energy for that, or strength.

"You're my girlfriend, Naruko" he answered, his hand trying to get a hold of her, but she immediately moved further, so he couldn't reach her, leaving him trying to grab air. She was definitely losing it, and he looked as if he wasn't even trying to say something to calm her, or reassure her, it didn't make things better.

"Doesn't look like it to me" she was really angry, the resentment was seeping through every fiber of her body, and he was caught by surprise by that. It was unlike her, she was forgiving and understanding, and he realized she must be really hurt to act that way.

"Let me explain-"

"There's nothing to explain, I know what I saw! I might not be that bright, but I'm not stupid!"

She interrupted him with a scoff, turning her head to avoid meeting his heated gaze, it made her melt, despite her anger, and she didn't want that.

"It's not what it looked like, it's a big misunderstanding-"

"I don't have to stand here and listen to you!" she was going to take the fucking stairs, she didn't care if she had to walk down for a non defined number of steps, she definitively wasn't going to sit there and let him make a fool of her, she might just try to punch him, and she really wanted to avoid that.

She moved swiftly, but the elevator chose it was the right moment to show up, and Itachi apparently thought it was a good idea to make a move, deciding against staying there looking helpless, and just get into action, or he was seriously going to lose her.

So, he did the only thing that came to his mind, not really sure if it was the right move, but he acted on impulse, so he could kick himself later, if it ended being wrong.

He lunged forward grabbing her by her shoulders pushing her into the elevator with such strength, her back impacted with the mirrored wall inside, making her hiss from the collision with the cold surface against her naked back.

"What do you think you're doing? you're acting like a psychopath! Let go of me you bastard!" the doors closed, and Itachi pressed a number on the pad, but Naruko wasn't able to see what he was doing, since he was blocking her with his own body pushed against her, blocking her vision with his shoulder, him being taller.

"Itachi! What are you doing? I just want to go home, away from you!" she croaked as the engine started moving, but he still didn't release her from his iron grip, despite her protests and her thrashing trying to free herself..

"I won't let you go until you listen to me!" his tone was dead serious, almost desperate, his eyes were dead set on her, and she almost felt shivers going through her from the expression she could read in them, it confused her deeply, it tricked her into thinking for a second that he really loved her, and she couldn't be persuaded into that again. He was a freat liar, she convinced herself of that.

"No! I refuse! Why should I even bother in doing that! It was quite obvious what I saw! there's no reason for you to explain it to me!"

"Why are you so damn stubborn!" he was starting to lose his patience, and she finally snapped too, how dare he say she was stubborn? He was the one that had freaking kidnapped her against her will! The presumptous ass!

"Me? You dare to call me stubborn?" the irony of it all!

He didn't add anything else, but he didn't retreat either, determined in keeping her there.

" because you forcing me here against my will isn't stubbornness? what would you call this then, you genius?"

She angrily retorted, thrashing against him

He moved a bit, leaving her some space, his hands undoing his tie, he was already sweating, he didn't want to bother with useless pieces of cloth, now that he wasn't at the party anymore.

"I had no other way! I just want to talk to you! Damn it Naruko!"

His eyes flashed with anger, an expression she had never seen, and her eyes widened at the tortured tone of his voice.

The doors finally opened after what had seemed like forever for the girl, that still didn't know where the hell Itachi had planned. Unlikely from what she thought, he really didn't have a plan from there, he didn't think she would be so upset, although it was understandable, he wasn't sure how to act from there. He was absolutely sure that if he let her leave, it would be the end of them. She would probably never want to see him again, if her attitude wasn't enough of a clue. He cursed himself, because for once, he had been caught completely unprepared.

They were near his office though, where they might be able to have some privacy, and hopefully they could resolve their conflict.

"What…what now the" she dared to ask, finding her voice again, looking away from his dark eyes that were still fixed on her, studying every expression of her face.

"Come with me" it sounded almost like a beg, his voice barely a whisper and his eyes, finally finding hers, his face dropping to her shoulder resting against it, his arms dropping to his sides, like wooden

She was caught in surprise for a moment, her mind telling her that she could at least let him explain himself, she wasn't that level of unreasonable, although her Uzumaki genes proved the opposite on most occasions.

"Fine" she consented and he finally moved, standing at a reasonable distance, he didn't want her thinking he was going to force something on her, and walked ahead of her through a large office room area, small desks separated by thin plastic walls spread in an orderly manner, and he lead straight to another room where a single desk was situated at the left of another door. He opened it without hesitation, and she walked in after him, watching as he closed the door with a lock, her eyebrow raised and her heart banging loudly in her chest, she barely registered him closing the door, locking it behind him

The room was just another bigger office, Naruko observed in her agitated state. An elegant wooden desk stood in the middle of the room, facing a big row of windows that offered the view of a good portion of the city. Not like the apartment Itachi had bought, but almost good enough.

Two elegant chairs were set in front of the desk, and a small mini- bar was on the angle right next to a small comfy sofa.

Itachi didn't add anything else as an explanation, and leaned with his thighs on the desk, between the two chairs and simply looked at her, as if expecting for her to be the one to talk first, although he was actually the one that had some explanations to give.

"Your office, I suppose" she guessed giving a good look around, she had never been in his work place. The furniture was a little vintage and tacky looking, it didn't reflect Itachi's more modern style at all.

"Madara's till yesterday. Now it's mine" he explained, and she nodded her understanding.

"Why are we here?" she was tired, and he wasn't saying anything. This situation was dragging itself longer than they both wanted. He didn't answer, just staring at her as a silent presence, and it unnerved her, because he had been the one to press for a confrontation, and she found her irritation level raise again, and her aggressive side begging to be released, well, he apparently was waiting for her to say something, so, she wouldn't hold back. Not this time, it was just the two of them now.

"Are you just going to stay there and watch me? Because it really irks me! You know, you act like a damn bastard, push me into a freaking elevator, ask for me to follow and listen to you, and now you expect me to do the talking?, well know this Uchiha, I can do that! I can talk enough for both of us!" she was walking around in circles now, as agitation took her body, making her incapable of standing still., Itachi simply following her movements with his eyes. She was beautiful in her fired up state, and he had to work hard to suffocate the arousal that stirred within him, totally inappropriate at such times. He tried to concentrate on what she was saying. She probably hated him anyway by now, but he knew she wouldn't probably be willing to listen correctly or accept his apology and explain the situation until she was in that upset state, she needed to vent, and yell at him and get it all out of her system, before he could apologize to her, so he simply limited himself, listening to her.

"You know, I was willing to admit that I was wrong earlier, that I might have overreacted, that I might not have understood what was going through your mind, because you know what! I never know what goes through your mind! You say you love me, but never let me in in important stuff that has to do with your life! I can tell you are worried about something, that you're not sleeping well, but you don't tell me, if you really loved me you would allow me to help you! I know I'm just a kid, that you might think I l don't understand, but you don't even try dammit! I don't really know what you do in this freaking office all day! I'm sure you would tell someone like Izumi though! You would probably tell her why you are so exhausted and she would understand, she would know how to help you and would probably give you better advice than me! she wouldn't probably act like an idiot like I did in front of all those people, she wouldn't even get into such a dumb situation, she would probably get herself out of it in a more gracious manner, you know, more fit for an Uchiha…I…have this weird personality! I wonder why you should put up with it! I perfectly understand if you prefer her to me I! it actually makes sense! I am just a stupid teenager that really thought could offer you something, but I realize I can't! I-" a sob interrupted her, and she tried to control herself, finding her voice again, although it trembled slightly despite her trying to keep it under control.

"I might not be enough for you"

Itachi immediately moved, cradling her into his arms, feeling guilty. Had he really not been able to catch what she was really feeling? She had been trying to cover that up accusing him of cheating, when it was her that was afraid she didn't measure up to his ex, or any other girl, and had been a vicitm of her own fears and insecurities, just like him.

"Don't ever say that!"

"But it's true!" she tried to contest his words without much results, because he wouldn't allow her to bring herself down that way again.

"I have been so blind, not realizing what you were feeling" he whispered, stroking her cheek, as she looked dumbstruck, her eyes full of unshed tears, and she swallowed, fighting against him, trying to free herself again, he let her, acknowledging that she might need a moment to pull herself together, and the she still had to forgive him.

"I…kind of lost it when I saw you with…with her. I was expecting to see you suffering just as much as me, and when I saw you there laughing with her…."

"You got the wrong impression, I would never do anything to hurt you" Her big blue eyes stared at him, and he felt his heart clench at her sad face,

"Izumi and I are just friends, she came to talk to me after our fight to give me some advice, and telling me I was too hard on you. That's it. I don't feel anything more than affection for her, she was my first love, after all"

"She wanted to….help?" she didn't know why, it wasn't hard to believe, actually, Naruko herself didn't know why she had immediately took things the wrong way, assuming he was cheating on her, especially with a woman that had left him for another man.

"I feel so stupid now, I-"

She wasn't able to finish though, because he had suddenly moved, silently as a cat and took her into his arms again covering her lips with his, his hands on both sides of her face, keeping her still deepening the kiss as one of his hands left her face sliding on her back making her gasp in the middle of the kiss at the contact of his cool hand on her heated skin. He groaned in approval, taking the chance and slipping his tongue in her mouth, and the two started to battle, starting a very heated french kiss, their mouths moving at the same pace, as they hungrily devoured each other. Her arms, that up to that moment had stayed limp along her body, crawled up to his head, her fingers threading through his hair, slipping off the hair band that kept them tied, letting them curtain around his face, her other hand snaking around his neck to keep herself anchored to him, as she felt her knees give out under her, and his arm wound around her waist pressing her closer to his body, keeping her up.

They paused only to breathe, setting the start to a chain of kisses, that grew in passion as they moved along, and she felt all the anger and doubts against him dissolve like snow in the sun, and she let out a soft moan, when his lips left her mouth, attacking her neck, sucking at the soft flesh there, breathing in her scent.

"Itachi…" she murmured softly, trying to catch her breath, and he raised his face, his dark gaze locking with hers, and she could read such an intense emotion, so much love in them, directed at her, she wanted to cry, for how foolish she had been, how could she have doubted him so much?

"Don't ever think Naruko that I don't love you, or that I consider you lowly than Izumi, because you would be completely wrong, I have never felt for her, what I feel for you " his voice was deep and husky, and just hearing it, made her knees weak again.

"You are everything I want, you don't know how much I need you and how scared the thought of losing you made me. I consider you the most important person in my life, and I know I am far from perfect and have made a lot of mistakes, the first of all not showing you how much I trust, and love you, but I will make sure I do from now on"

"You didn't do anything wrong, it was entirely my fault"

"No, I am to blame just as much, I have overreacted too, I just lost it when that idiot touched you"

He paused, leaving a small soft kiss on her lips, and she smiled, moving some black strands away from his face.

"I shouldn't have let him touch me, I should have been able to dodge something like that!"

"And I probably shouldn't have gotten mad at you for that"

"Yeah! You shouldn't have!" she pinched his cheek, and he grimaced a the gesture, forcing his face away from her touch, in an attempt to stop the sweet torture

"Fine, it was entirely my fault then" he settled, they would probably start fighting on who was the one at fault, and he wasn't sure he could handle another fight so soon.

"I can agree to that" she laughed, and he was pleased to see her spirits lift up again, he hummed softly, his lips finally turning into a smile, provoking the same reaction in the blonde, that released one of her own.

"Of course you would" he joked making her lips shift into a pout, and he shifted them around, tired of standing, sat down on the small sofa, pulling her to sit on his lap, his back leaned back, and he positioned her in such a way that she was facing him, her legs splayed on both side of his waist, the skirt of her dress dangerously sliding up, at the middle of her thigh, making her blush when she noticed Itachi's gaze on her uncovered skin, and his hands on the small of her back. He wasn't holding back in the way he was touching her, and she didn't want him to, feeling a little bolder now that she was more reassured about his feelings for her, and she wanted to experiment too, her hands wandering from his shoulders from his chest, tugging his suit's dark jacket off, helping him slip it off his shoulders and through his arms ignoring the raised eyebrow and the dark eyes staring in silent question she decided to take advantage of the newfound position, and tilted her head down to meet his lips, starting another sensual and searing kiss, her mouth opening and she took command of the kiss, as he submitted underneath her, caught a little by surprise by her newfound attitude, and he let out a little sigh, as her tongue slipped inside his mouth as he opened his mouth to give her better access and start a long tortuous battle for dominance, his hands sliding up and down her bare back, the kiss growing more passionate, as she found the courage to undo the first buttons of his dress shirt and touch the pale skin, drawing a soft moan from his throat, and he broke the kiss in a tentative to catch his breath. She was definitely not aware of what she was doing to him, his mind was definitely going into overdrive, his body feeling as little shockwaves were going through him, causing little sparks of electricity where her hands got in contact with his skin, and he was trying to keep in control, without much success and he better stop her, before his control definitely snapped, and he might end up doing something he would regret, he was holding on by a thin thread, he was sure he wouldn't last

He softly caught her wrists with his hands, to stop her exploration of his upper body, and she looked up at him, blue eyes confused.

"We should stop" he spoke softly, and she looked back at him, slight delusion crossing her features.

"Don't you like it?" she asked, her blue eyes were already darker than usual, and her already blushing face grew even hotter at the question, and he thought he was going to lose it as she looked at him so innocently, but so so tempting at the same time, and he wondered if she was aware of what she was doing to him, because no one could be so damn seductive without trying.

"The problem is…." And he had to pause to take a deep breath. "I don't know how long I will resist if you keep this up"

She shifted, her hips grinding softly against his groin, and his eyes widened, she sure looked like she was doing it on purpose, and she blushed even more, looking like a lovely tomato, and he swallowed, she must have felt something, he had lost all control of that part of his body a long time ago, she sure wasn't helping means at all.

"I don't want you to resist" her soft voice cracked a little bit, making it sound uncertain, but her eyes held determination as she stared back a his dilated pupils, and his throat went dry at the innocent way her bottom teeth bit on her lip in an unwilling sensual gesture, and he knew then, that his last ounce of control was definitely going straight to hell, alongside with him, a growl came out from his throat as he leaned in, his lips covering hers again, his teeth nipping at the same lip she had been biting on earlier,his hands sliding under her thighs, their lips not breaking contact as he lifted her up against his body as he got up, standing a few seconds, and flipping her with her back on the sofa and he crawled above her, his lips leaving hers, to concentrate on her neck, biting and sucking at the flesh, sure to leave possessive marks, his mind too far gone to remember she had to eventually go back to her parents, and being summer she couldn't really cover them with clothing and she didn't really use make up.

She let out a low grunt, as his left hand followed the lines of her body, covered by the annoying dress, and he fumbled to find the zipper, his right hand keeping her wrists in place above her head.

"Naruko…are you…are you sure?" he had to ask that, his fingers were now ghosting over the small cursor as he had found what he was looking for, he raised his body a little bit, using his elbow as leverage, to look at her better.

The blonde looked up finding the courage to meet Itachi's heated gaze if she would be having second thoughts about what they were about to do, they would have been wiped away immediately by the way he was gazing down at her, with so much love and want that it would have made her knees quiver if she wouldn't have been laying down already.

She pulled her head up, just enough to give him a quick peck on the lips, her hands free from his grip, slid in between their bodies to undo the remaining buttons, and sliding it off, leaving his upper body completely bare to her eyes.

"I am"

He didn't need any more confirmation, he nodded, his lips turning in a small smile, his hand lowered to cup her cheek, pulling her into another, sweet kiss, basking in her soft touch.

His hand found the zipper again, and without second thoughts, slid it down.

"Then, let me take care of you"


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto!

Chapter 31

Naruko was nervously fiddling with her fingers, a scarf tied tightly to her throat, as she sat in Tsunade's office next to her mother, as they waited for the busty woman o come in, she was visiting someone else in the room next to them, and had let them wait there, since Kushina had insisted that they needed to see her immediately and that it was an emergency, Tsunade had agreed, she was a smart woman, she knew it would be no use telling Kushina Namikaze to take a regular appointment through her secretary.

So, a satisfied Kushina was now reading a magazine humming softly, while Naruko let out a big annoyed huff. It felt like they had been waiting forever and she couldn't even force herself to start a conversation with her mother, she couldn't even look at her in the eye she felt so embarrassed, although her mother had assured her there was no use for her to feel like that, but the blonde would just fumble a few words and blush turning her face away, and her hands would shoot up to adjust the already tight scarf, whose only purpose in the middle of a hot summer was to keep the dark red marks on her bronzed skin hidden, a not so subtle remainder of what had happened the night before, in Itachi's office, not that her sore body wasn't enough to remind her, because she was hurting everywhere, even parts of her body she didn't know could hurt, but she didn't regret it, it was well worth it, because she was sure last night, it had been the best night of her life. Itachi had been so loving and so tender with her, she felt like her love for him had grown and her heart could almost explode from happiness. It had been completely different from what she expected, and she realized how stupid she had been for being so scared, especially after Sakura had confessed her own experience and that it hurt. She had discovered she was right, at least on the second part, because it had, at first, but then, once that was over, well she was sure she had never felt anything like it, so many different emotions and in such a bliss, it was like time had stopped for them, and she had dozed off in his safe arms after they had joined, and it had been the perfect end for that crazy evening.

It was only when he had to take her home, after an hour of peaceful rest, she had noticed the red angry marks on her skin, when she had walked into the small private bathroom in his office, and had checked her hair and face's conditions. Itachi had unashamedly shrugged his shoulders with a small smirk, and she blushed, noticing he had one on his neck as well. They were kind of even, but he could easily hide it with his tie, while she had to use his jacket and pull the neck up, luckily, her parents weren't home yet, she had called them before leaving, and they were apparently having fun at the still going party, with Itachi's parents, and sounded surprised she was already going home. They must have been pretty hammered to not have noticed they had been gone for a couple of hours, but she didn't complain, and after bidding Itachi good night had slipped in bed, trying to find a strategy to hide the evidence on her neck.

She had tried to steal some foundation from her mother's beauty case, but to no avail, she was paler than her, and it didn't manage to cover the marks well enough so, she had tried leaving her hair down, but as soon as she made a movement they would go out of place, and unless she didn't want to look like the little scary girl from The ring, it wasn't a good solution. High neck shirts were out of the question, so, she had called Itachi, and after giving him an earful he had quietly suggested she use a scarf, she had immediately dismissed his suggestion, telling him exactly where she thought he could put his ideas, hanging up on him.

Although stupid, it was the only option she had, and the only one that worked. Stupid Itachi, it was his fault she was now in that messy situation, she would have to make sure to get back at him somehow, she still didn't know how, but she was sure she would find a way. Maybe she would have to ask Sasuke for help.

It was still kind of weird to walk around in a scarf in the middle of july, but at least she had a light one Ino had given her, and she could tell everyone she had a sore throat, she had to give credit to the Uchiha, he was one smart bastard.

It had worked, at least with her brother and her father, but she couldn't fool her mother, who in her adult teen years had invented any type of disguise to hide love bites from her parents, so, as soon as Minato had left for work, and Menma had gone out to help Sasuke plan his birthday party, Kushina had immediately interrogated her daughter, whose blushing face and unusual stutter had given her away immediately.

Her mother had been incredibly understanding and supportive, and Naruko, had been grateful for that, she was glad she had someone that wouldn't judge her, but cared only for her well being, and that was now the reason they were in Tsunade's office.

"Excuse me ladies for the long wait" The blonde doctor walked in with a smile on her lips, her hazel eyes scanning them, looking from Kushina to Naruko to figure out the reason they were there since the red headed woman hadn't really specified anything through the phone except that it was an urgent matter.

"No problem, excuse us for barging in here on such short notice!" Kushina smiled apologetically, tightening her grip on her purse resting on her legs.

"So, how can I help you? Did the brat here get herself in trouble?" she asked her eyebrows raised as she inspected the blonde's red face. Her lips tightened as she registered the fact that the girl's eyes were curiously avoiding hers, which was unusual, she had known Naruko since she was a little girl, and she had never been shy with her. She clasped her hands in front of her, as she laid with her back on her chair.

"What would make you think that?" the blonde huffed, but the red on her cheeks didn't decrease, and she was still avoiding the woman's curious gaze.

"Well, your presence here" she calmly stated, scribbling something on a piece of paper for another

"Oh, well who tells you we aren't here for a visit Granny Tsunade?" she still wasn't really sure herself why she was actually there, so, maybe her mother really wanted to go visit her, they had to meet Mikoto in a short while to go house shopping for Itachi's new apartment.

The woman scoffed, as she rested her chin on the palm of her hand, as if what she had said was ridiculous.

"You didn't go and get pregnant by your Uchiha did you?"

Naruko gaped at the blunt question, where the hell did she get that thought? It was impossible! They had done it once, and had used the right protection, so, no, that wasn't the case

"No! why the hell would you think that? What did you tell her mom?"

Kushina shrugged her off with a giggle, and Tsunade snickered at her distressed state.

"Oh no that's not the reason Tsunade, we are here to prevent that from happening, Naruko and Itachi are too young to have kids" she laughed, and Tsunade hummed softly in agreement.

"Mom!" Naruko hid her face in her hands, she was so damn embarrassed, why were they doing this to her? It's not like she wanted to have kids in that moment of her life, that was pretty obvious, and she was sure Itachi thought it exactly like her.

"Ah…I see, It's a wise decision. I will prescribe our young woman here birth control pills"

Naruko blushed, she really couldn't believe she had got herself in such an embarrassing situation. She and her mother had talked about it the night before and that had been awkward enough, so, she didn't feel like going through it again, not when Tsunade was grinning at her in the way she did when she wanted to mock her.

"You're hot brat? I'm sure that scarf it's not helping"

And that was it. The blonde grimaced, her hands that up to that moment had been busy fanning herself, in a tentative to cool herself down a little bit, stopped in midair, and the young Namikaze's color drained from her face at the allusion, the old woman, just like her mother had immediately understood the true meaning of why she was wearing the annoying piece of cloth, it must be a woman's thing, and she now feared meeting Itachi's mother and Sakura in just an hour. They would probably understand too, she was doomed, and she wanted to go and hide under a rock.

"Mom…I think I have to go somewhere" she stood and hurried to the door, Tsunade following her with her eyes, a smirk on her lips, covered by red lipstick.

"It seems just like yesterday I was instructing your mother on how to put diapers on you, and now, here you are, all grown up" she leaned her face on her hand, tilting it a bit to look better at the young girl that was now standing close to the door, avoiding their gazes.

Naruko swallowed, she wasn't sure she wanted to take a walk down memory lane, not in that moment, it was really embarrassing, she wondered how many times she had said that word in her mind.

"Yeah, time goes by and shit, I really got to go now, mom meet you in an hour, in front of the mall"

Kushina nodded, thinking that maybe she just needed to vent a little bit, and just let her go, it must be overwhelming and she knew she might need to be alone a little bit.

"Fine, I will pick up your pills then, see you later"

"Oh, and brat, you better come in for a check up one of these days"

"Oh right, I should make you an appointment for that!" the red head woman thought out loud, agreeing with Tsunade, and taking a small agenda out of her purse.

Naruko rolled her eyes, she had definitely heard enough, and left the room as fast as she could, ignoring the two women giggling at her expenses, being a teenage girl, sure sucked sometimes, and the day, had only started.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"No, I already told you-" he sighed for what must had been the hundredth time. His first few hours as Ceo had been hell. He had already had two brief meetings with executives and a video conference with most of their business partners Ceo's, to discuss about new business proposals, his father had given him a load of documents to sign, and his new secretary, was giving him hell. The woman was good at her job but flirty as hell, and she continued to bother him with any kind of excuse, the last one being she thought he was stressed and might need some tea, and had offered to bring him personally some, he had tried to tell her he just needed to be left alone for a few seconds, to breathe, but she had insisted, and he wondered why his father had hired her in the first place, and without consulting him.

"Mr Uchiha, your tea!" he cringed as she walked in with a warm cup in her hands, leaving it in front of him, flashing a bit of her cleavage, as if she was trying to shove it right in his face, and he sighed, focusing his gaze on a piece of paper that had been laying forgotten on his desk up to that moment. It was embarrassing, since she was about ten years older than him.

"Thank you miss…." He stopped realizing he hadn't asked for her name or had forgot it, he wasn't really certain which one.

"Terumi" she finished for him, keeping a straight face trying to not show her disappointment.

"Ah, I apologize, I am bad at remembering names" he couldn't avoid being polite, and he was glad he could use that as an excuse.

"No problem Mr Uchiha, I am sure you won't forget it anymore"

Itachi couldn't miss the allusion nor the wink, and he really hoped something would break that awkward moment, he really didn't feel like dealing with a flirty woman, that was trying to push herself on her younger boss on her first day of work.

A very welcomed, at least for the Uchiha, knock on the door broke the weird atmosphere, but before he could say something, the woman strutted at the door, opening it.

"Mr Uchiha is busy at the moment, he can't see anyone right now" she explained in a tone that transpired authority, and that would have made even the most determined person desist, but the woman had never met the blonde terror that was standing in front of her with her hands firmly on her hips and a fierce expression.

"What? And who are you?" the blonde sent her a venomous look, her jealousy flaring up as she noticed how she was dressed. How dared she walk around her boyfriend in such an inappropriate attire?

"I'm his secretary"

The blonde raised a brow at that, she didn't know he had a secretary, especially one that looked like this woman. Even she had to admit the woman was pretty good looking.

"Ah, now that that's settled, I would really like to see my boyfriend"

The woman looked surprised but didn't let it show for more than a few seconds. She narrowed her eyes pursing her lips, looking determined in her intent of keeping her out of the way. Unfortunately for her, Naruko wasn't one to give up.

"I told you already he is busy" she insisted, but she didn't know who was standing in front of her.

That made Naruko lose her nerve, and take a few more steps, now standing very close to the unnerving secretary.

"Listen you crazy woman, you better let me through or I will show you exactly what-"

She was interrupted by Itachi peeking from behind the woman, smiling at her, thanking the heavens for her perfect timing.

"Naruko? Miss Terumi let her through, even with a busy schedule, I always have five minutes to see her. You might want to remember that in the future miss Terumi"

Itachi opened the door completely, and the brown haired woman, took it as a cue to leave, and Naruko's expression changed into a satisfied and victorious smile, as she walked straight into his arms, sticking her tongue out at the woman, that ignored her as she left, closing the door behind her.

"Who's that woman? And why did you chose her to be your secretary? I mean, I didn't know you needed a secretary! Why would you need one? aren't you capable of doing things on your own Itachi? Like answering the phone! How difficult can that be? And why didn't you tell me?"

Itachi sighed at the third degree that was being inflicted on him. The blonde was looking at him with a furious glare that promised a very heated argument ahead of them.

"Calm down n-"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" her tone of voice was increasing slightly, and he seriously started thinking that maybe run for his life was the best solution.

"Sorry, I didn't mean that, but, if you will allow me to explain-"

"You have to get rid of her, now!"

"Now?" he blinked. He wasn't fond of the woman, but he felt bad firing her for no real reason. There was no way in hell he would give in to her advances.

"She was definitely trying to seduce you! Even I could see that!"

He let out a huff, he had to find a way to calm the beast.

"Naruko, be reasonable, don't you trust me around other women?"

Her glare went from furious to confused, what did that have to do with anything?

"I do trust you, it's them I don't trust! There is one of them ready to throw themselves at you!"

He chuckled at that, finally reaching her, and she allowed him to pull her into his arms, as he nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

"You are too cute when you're jealous"

She gasped, pinching his arm, drawing a small gasp of pain from him. Ok, maybe it wasn't the best thing to say, but he loved her fiery side.

"Cute? You know I hate it when you call me that" she muttered, trying to free herself from the Uchiha's iron hold on her hips.

"Maybe that's why I say it, it makes you forget the main reason you're mad at me, making you focus on something less important" he explained with a satisfied grin plastered on his lips, he was infuriatingly handsome, and she knew she wouldn't stay mad at him for much longer if she looked at him, so she tried to focus on something else.

"You're just full of strategies and little traps aren't you?"

"Hn, I am called a genius after all"

He pulled her closer, and smiled in satisfaction, it looked like his little plan was working after all, she was calming down, and wasn't struggling against his hold anymore.

"I am still pissed, you better cancel that smug grin from your face"

Or maybe not.

"I didn't hire her, if you really want to know. My father did, he said she had an excellent curriculum, so, I couldn't say anything."

He explained, hoping that she would calm down now, he didn't have much time, so he really just wanted to solve this little argument and move on.

"Your father? Why would he hire her?"

"Well, I needed a secretary, and she qualified for the position, I think that's how it works"

She gave him an annoyed look, he was really enjoying thus wasn't he? Their argument the night before had caused a big change in their relationship, it had made it evolve and grow, she felt like she could be her true self, craziness and all, because she knew he would accept her the way she was, and he was more open and broke his restraints, even allowing himself to tease her and provoke her. It was what they needed to move forward, away from the awkwardness of the first weeks of a relationship, the way they held each other was bolder, the change hadn't only been mental, but physical as well.

"Fine, but if she ever tries something like that again-"

"I will fire her, I promise" he kissed her on the nose, to test if she had calmed down. The most she could do if she wasn't was slap him. He could survive.

"So, what is the reason for this surprise visit?"

She had finally calmed down, so, he lead her to the couch, and she blushed as she remembered what had actually happened a few hours ago on that same piece of furniture.

"I thought you were going to get rid of this thing" it was an horrible out of style brownish color couch, it's not like he would have missed it, he had said it himself that he wanted to replace it.

"Hn, I changed my mind, I think I'll keep it" he tilted his head, relishing in the view of her flustered face, as he leaned in towards her face, stealing a quick kiss from her pouty lips.

"You perv" she muttered avoiding his amused gaze.

"I see you took my suggestion and used the scarf" his fingers played with the loose end of it, and her eyes widened, he looked a little too smug for her liking.

"I ran away from the hospital" she announced, slapping her hands on her knees, as to make her declaration more dramatic.

Itachi's eyebrows shot up in surprise and confusion and his smile faded, was she mad again? He tried to think what he could have said this time to anger her.

"You did what? And why were you in the hospital?" he scratched his head, not connecting the dots between the things she was telling him. They didn't really make sense.

"My mother understood everything. I didn't even need to take off this thing, she knows Itachi!"

"She…knows what exactly?"

Was he acting stupid or, he really didn't understand what she was obviously referring to?

She groaned, looking straight into his black eyes.

"About what happened between us! You remember right? Yesterday evening, in this same place, you and I?"

"Naruko, what does all this have to do with you running away from a hospital?"

She sighed, men, they were really dense sometimes.

"My mom, thought it a good idea to take me visit granny Tsunade and put me on birth control! And it's all your fault!" she was blushing so hard. She didn't think talking about something that was supposed to be natural could make her so flustered and shy, especially when her partner didn't look ashamed at all. Maybe that was what made their age gap look bigger than it was, he was obviously more comfortable talking openly about sex, he was more experienced, and a man, so it didn't bother him like it did her. She had lost her virginity a couple hours ago, so, yes, she did feel kind of embarrassed to talk about it.

"Birth control? I don't see where the problem is. Your mother is just looking out for you" he really couldn't see what the real deal was. Of course, it wasn't him that had been dragged to a hospital and received a talk about the flowers and the bees on the way there from his mother. As if she didn't know how it worked already!

"I know that you idiot! Is just that…she wouldn't have to if you didn't make it so damn noticeable"

"Ah, I see" He might have exaggerated a bit, but it's not like he had been really in control of what he was doing at the time. He didn't really feel guilty.

"That's all you're going to say about it?"

"I can't really say anything to make it better, can I?"

"You could show a little sympathy"

He smiled sweetly at her, and she seemed to calm down a little bit at that.

"I am, terribly sorry, especially because it's causing you discomfort"

She relaxed, and slid closer to him, letting him envelop her body with his arms.

"I will make sure to be more careful next time" he kissed her on the cheek taking advantage of her closeness.

"N-next time?" she blushed so much, she thought she was going to die for self combustion.

"Next time" he repeated, a hint of amusement in his eyes, but she was sure he was serious.

"Dammit! I really have to go now! I stole to much of your time already" she jolted up, and he smirked following her to the door of his office, where she was already clutching the handle tightly.

"See you tonight at your apartment, be sure to get there on time all right?" she reminded him, and he raised an eyebrow, and she might have just remembered she was not really supposed to tell him, they were having a little house warming dinner set up for him with both of their families, although she was sure they had just made up an excuse, to have a family dinner together and embarrass both of them further.

"At my apartment? What for? I still don't live there"

"But you will! And I am going with your mother to get stuff for your home in about ten minutes, aren't you curious about what we are going to get? You have to come over and see!"

He thought about for a second, taking into consideration everything that she had told him.

"Would you get offended if I said I don't really care? I know my mother will probably buy a ton of unnecessary stuff. That's how she is, she loves house shopping, she will probably end up buying stuff for Sasuke's future home with the excuse that he will soon start college and probably move out."

She narrowed her eyes at that, and she understood that any excuse she could make up, wouldn't work. So she retorted to another solution.

"Just get your butt there at seven all right? See you there, bye" she kissed his cheek, without giving him any time to add anything else, or ask her any other question, she knew she wasn't good at keeping secrets, so she just left him there dumbfounded, and he could just stare as his girlfriend ran through the hallway.

"Your girlfriend is a weird girl" a voice distracted him, and Itachi looked in the direction it came from, meeting the amused gaze of his uncle Izuna.

"She's incredible" he answered with a soft smile, as he thought about her fun mood swings, and adorable blushing cheeks.

"Busy morning?"

"Yes, terribly busy" he answered, inviting him to follow him back into his office, sitting down in his comfortable chair, resting his elbows on the hard wood of his desk.

"I can imagine, Madara almost had a break down on his first week, but then he got used to the busy schedule, and everything went well. Don't worry, you will manage as well"

Itachi sighed, he sure hope he did, or he was going to loose his calm demeanor and his mind, Naruko had been a breeze of fresh air for him that morning.

"So, you said you wanted to talk to me?" Itachi was now staring straight into the older man's gaze, his face serious, as if he was discussing business, because he believed that was the reason he was there, he had said so at the party, and Itachi had to admit he was curious about what Izuna had to talk to him about.

Izuna tilted his head a bit, his bangs covering part of his dark eyes that were now staring at his fingers, as he thought about how to break the news to his nephew.

"Well, I came to resign, actually" he handed him a signed piece of paper, and the young Ceo blinked as he read every word of it, hoping he hadn't heard his uncle correctly, but was disappointed since everything was explained in the letter he was holding.

"I…don't understand" he admitted, placing the piece of paper on the desk, and crossing his fingers, leaning his hands on his jointed hands, staring back at the older man, that was smiling softly now, as his hands gripped the armrests of the chair.

"I have been wanting to do this since forever, but, I had a deal with Madara, and I couldn't leave the company completely in his hands or he would have ruined it completely under his rule."

Itachi raised both his eyebrows, confused about what he was hearing. Madara had been a great Ceo and president, and had done great things for the company.

"I know what you're thinking, but let me explain to you exactly how things were when we took over from our father" he paused for a couple of seconds entwining his own hands together.

"We were young, both of us when we inherited the company, I never wanted all of this, I didn't want a position of power, I was young, and in love with someone that the family didn't deem suited for me, because of his gender and his name, Madara threatened to ruin him if I didn't end things between us. So I did, and accepted the position of top researcher in the company trying to forget about Tobirama Senju, but, love is not something you can ignore, so after a while, we decided to continue our relationship in secret, but Madara discovered us anyway, and this time he did ruin Tobirama's reputation, and tried to separate us again.

Tobirama luckily is a strong willed man, and with the support of his brother, he managed to get his life back in track, and took the reins of Senju when his brother wanted to enter politics. Madara despite being good friends with Hashirama, hired someone to try and disrupt the Senju name and empire, a man called Danzo Shimura, who already hated the Senju for not allowing him to take over when Hashirama wanted to step down, and. He created Root, and used it as a way to spy on them, using whatever information they had against them, Senju almost declared bankruptcy because of their illegal actions"

Itachi couldn't believe what he was hearing, his uncle Madara had really done all of those things against his own brother? He never knew someone like Madara could be driven by hatred. He had always acted so caring towards him, and his family, he would have never imagined him to be capable of such actions.

"But, he always acted so loving towards you, but in the same way he-"

"Stabbed me in the back, yes, he did. In his twisted mind, he was doing what he thought was good for the family, he forced me to stay in the company, so he could control me, now that he is gone, I think it's time I leave my place to the younger generations, I am sure you will be able to handle this situation, you have the art of diplomacy and have always been wise for your age. Madara did the right thing, giving you the position, and when Fugaku retires you will be completely in charge."

Itachi though, was an attentive and smart person, and could read between the lines, of the reason why Izuna was telling him all this. He had been collecting information for the last weeks, as soon as he had noticed weird movements as soon as he entered the business, and the name Orochimaru and Root had already come up, to add to that, Sasori, who he had hired to investigate, along with Kisame, had mentioned that his uncle was somehow involved.

It was hard to believe, but the evidence was there.

"You are not assuming Madara has some plans to destroy Uchiha, are you?"

Izuna nodded, leaning a bit forward, his fingers now tumbling on the wood of the desk

"No, he would never want to destroy something he has dedicated so much of his life in, but he might have attracted some unwanted competition, and the people who once helped him, think he is in debt with them"

Itachi stood up, his body nervous, as he started to walk around the room. He stopped in front of the window, deep in thought.

"Was Madara aware of someone trying to steal our projects?"

He asked, contemplating the view, he was sure Madara had known, but didn't do anything to stop it. He wondered why.

"I think he realized it once Obito left so suddenly, that something wasn't right, but I don't know if he reized the danger was real, he always thought your cousin was an incompetent brat"

"So, he is the one behind Akatsuki, pulling the strings" he connected the dots, but still, there were some points that still needed to be cleared.

"I believe he caught the opportunity when your friends Yahiko and Nagato met him to try and make a business deal with him. You see, Akatsuki is a new company so no one would suspect if they put out new ideas and do some hazardous moves, anyone would blame their inexperience. Obito went there for that purpose, but he must have been hired from someone else, and I'm sure it has nothing to do with your two friends, they are too young to have developed such a plan. Only someone that has experience in shady business could have developed something so sophisticated."

Itachi sighed, rubbing his face with one hand as he thought about what his uncle had revealed, it sounded almost like an insane plan, but whoever it was had a brilliant mind, and had thought things through, but, there was one thing they were missing, if this someone wanted to steal Uchiha's privileged position, and take most of their partners away, that meant that he would have to get a hold on their projects and research, and those were usually top secret, and only limited people had access to them.

It would be hard for someone outside the company to get a hold of them, that could only mean that...

"They could have hired some spies to steal top secret information"

"Who was in charge of personnel selection before I came in?"

Izuna's eyes widened, and he immediately looked worried, and that didn't help Itachi's already agitated mood. He had to prevent a disaster, after all.

"Obito."

Itachi walked back to his desk, but didn't sit down in his chair, he stood leaning his hands on the hard wood, as he thought what his next move was. He was sure his cousin knew already they were being investigated, and he had to think of a counter move to

"I will have to schedule a meeting for this afternoon I just hope Yahiko and Nagato are still in town, and I have to inform my father and Minato"

Izuna smiled, Itachi was so young, but so determined to fight to keep the company safe.

"Sometimes when I look at you I feel as if I'm looking at an old version of Madara. But I am sure you will surpass him, you have a great future in front of you. You will get through this crisis easily"

A knock on the door, interrupted them, and the secretary announced that Shisui was there to see him.

The short haired man walked in, and he looked surprised when he noticed Izuna was there. He had been looking for the older man all morning.

"Uncle Izuna! Were you hiding in here?" he patted the man on the back, sitting down on the other chair, next to the one where Izuna had been occupying earlier.

"Well, you two will be a great team together, good luck Itachi, Shisui"

The man smiled sweetly and gave them one last look. Shisui, that still didn't know what was going on, raised both his eyebrows at the other, that didn't look like he was going to answer his silent question anytime soon, but he patiently waited until their uncle was out of the room, before finally turning the question vocal, since Itachi didn't seem to understand how he hated to be kept in the dark. He was a nosy person, it wasn't his fault.

"What was that all about?"

Itachi sighed, and dropped to his chair, sighing heavily pulling his bangs out of his eyes, looking at Shisui with a serious gaze, the latter realizing how stressed he was and he handed him a letter, the older Uchiha not getting immediately what was written on it.

"What does this mean?" he asked a little shocked, waiting for Itachi to confirm it to him.

"It means you just got promoted, congratulations"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

The atmosphere in the apartment was peaceful, Mikoto and Kushina were laughing about something in the kitchen, while Sakura and Hinata were setting the table up and Menma and Sasuke were busy trying to set up the tv set, so they could use the PlayStation Sasuke had took from Itachi's old room.

Naruko was anxiously waiting for Itachi to get there, Fugaku and Minato would probably tag along with him, since Itachi and Fugaku had shared the car to work that morning.

"Why isn't he here? It's late!" she muttered, glancing nervously at the new wall clock they had bought, and that Mikoto had thought would look lovely on the spot above the entrance, and she had been correct, the only problem was th blonde girl, that couldn't stop staring at it, as she checked the door every two seconds.

"Dobe, stop fretting, it's only a quarter past seven, give him time to get here, it's not like he'll get lost"

Sasuke grinned at her as he set up the controller and Menma threw his hands up in victory, high fiving the Uchiha for his success. She ignored the two idiots, and went back to stare at the door, Sasuke's words had helped her relax a bit, but she just couldn't wait to show Itachi everything they had got, and although he had said he really didn't care, she was sure she would like how she had set up the place, since it had been her to decide how to set everything, from the furniture to the kitchen appliances as if it had been her own home, and she felt it hers a little bit, knowing that in the future, she could call it hers as well.

Her eyes immediately went back to the door, the sound of a key unlocking it, and she stood up, bouncing up and down in excitement, close to the door, and jumping at Itachi's neck as soon as he walked, almost making him trip on his own feet, since he wasn't expecting to be groped so hardly by the enthusiastic blonde.

"Welcome home" she shouted, almost making him go deaf in one ear. The Uchiha gave a long pointed look at the place, noticing all the new stuff, including a tv and Sasuke and Menma on a new black sofa, playing Call of Duty on his PlayStation. The black and red curtains draped over the big windows and a nice sophisticated carpet.

"What…how…what did you do to this place?" he asked, he liked how they had arranged everything, but he couldn't avoid wondering hos they had accomplished everything in only a single afternoon.

"Well do you like it? This is only the entrance and living room, you have yet to see the kitchen, the dining room and bedroom." She explained enthusiastically, pulling him by the arm, she had hardly acknowledged her father and Fugaku behind Itachi, but she had time to greet them properly later, she just wanted to show Itachi everything.

"Hey Itachi, this big ass sofa sure is comfortable" Menma waved and Sasuke snorted, raising his hand as a greeting to his brother, that merely shook his head at the duo.

"Yeah yeah, forget those two, which room would you like to see first?" she asked pulling him towards the hallway, one way lead to the kitchen the other way to the night section, with the bedroom and bathroom.

He figured his mother and Kushina were in the kitchen, since he heard their voices, and Sakura and Hinata in the dining room.

"Bedroom, I am very curious to see how you arranged things in there" he grinned a bit, and she blushed, swallowing a little bit, hand clutching her scarf anxiously.

"Ugh, you two, get a room!" Sasuke apparently wasn't focusing that much on the game as he should've, and was instead spying them, although they were barely touching now, he must have felt some tension between them.

"That's what they're doing moron" Menma snickered wiggling his eyebrows at his sister in a malicious way.

Naruko didn't really think her blush could increase any more, but she was proven wrong at her stupid twin's comment.

"Ignore them, come with me" This time, it was Itachi to drag her away, and he closed the door behind them, ignoring the two teen's chuckles that could be heard from the other room.

"Wow, this…this room changed a lot" he smiled at the soft blues the room was now decorated with, the curtains were a light blue, that reminded him of Naruko's eyes, the bed sheets and a light comforter were all a nice and relaxing blue and back fantasy, and on one of the two bedside tables there was a picture frame with a picture of them, she was talking or a leas she looked like she was, her mouth was hanging open, and he was looking at her with a smile, it was a really nice picture, he had to admit it, they looked like they were at his parents house, he recognized the kitchen behind them.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, taking the pretty silver frame in his hands. She smiled, and walked closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder, with a smile.

"oh, Deidara took some pictures of us, without us realizing it, and I corrupted him to make him give them to me"

Now he was worried.

"Corrupt him? How did you do that? And why would he take pictures of us?" He always knew his friends were insane, but this exceeded his expectations.

"I told him that when we get married he will be in charge of the decorations, and that means we will probably have clay statues all over the place"

"I thought you were against this whole wedding thing" he remarked, with a curious tone, his black eyes holding hers chained to his.

"I know…but it's not hurting anyone, let them have their fun"

He chuckled and kissed her on top of her head, nodding in agreement.

"Deiadara will drive us crazy, you know that right?"

Her eyes widened. She hadn't thought about that!


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Itachi had another busy morning, but he was well used to it, it had been almost a year since he had been nominated CEO, and Uchiha business was flourishing under his guidance, and Fugaku was starting to seriously consider retiring early and leaving everything under Itachi's command, the company had never been better, after Izuna's revelations, it had been easy for Sasori and Kisame to spot how, Root and Akatsuki were stealing their projects and information, and had gone right to the source and Danzo Shimura and his ally Orochimaru had been arrested for fraud, and Obito had to pay a big fine, and also serve some time in jail for his complicity in their actions. He had found though, once he was let out of prison, that Itachi didn't hold any grudge towards him, since he was aware that it had been Madara's actions to drive him into such a behavior, and despite Fugaku not really agreeing with his son at first, had to admit it had been a good idea, and Obito was content with being a simple executive, abandoning his desire to acquire a position of command, and helping his younger cousin whenever he needed it.

Shisui had developed the research program, and his new projects were a real success. Madara could be proud of them, all of them, their team work was excellent, and they had built strong partnerships not only with Namikaze, but with Akatsuki too. Yahiko had been mortified after the scandal with Obito, but everything had been solved, and Akatsuki was gaining a good position in their field.

All in all life was good. His relationship with Naruko was strong as ever, and although they had no plans to get married or to go live together for now, they were happy.

The blonde was set to start college there in Konoha in september, and she and the girls had decided to get a little place together near campus and live together. Itachi had agreed with that, not only because it wasn't his choice, and he respected Naruko's decisions, but also because he wanted her to have her experiences and that she shouldn't be denied of them just because of him. He trusted her, and he wanted her happiness before anything else, and she had already brought some of her things in his apartment, planning to spend her weekends there with him. He liked the arrangement, and she could move in whenever she wished to, although Minato would probably have a stroke, he still wasn't used to the idea his children were going to leave home soon, and he wasn't really aware of his wife planning a wedding, that who knows when would happen, he was sure that would be the end for the blond haired man.

His phone rang in his pocket, and he smirked when he read the name on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Hey! How are you doing?" he smiled hearing the happy tone and Naruko's joyful voice. She was in Suna, at a martial arts tournament with Kakashi and Sakura, and she was determined to win this time, after last years failure, and a couple of third or second positions in other competitions. He couldn't go to her, since he was stuck with work, but it was Friday, and she was going to be back tomorrow morning, and they had already planned a quite evening at home, and he couldn't wait for her to be back.

"Busy as ever, what about you? How is the tournament?"

He frowned, his eyes focusing on the door, waving at Shisui that was bringing some lunch. He couldn't believe it was already mid day, but he was glad, he really was tired and he couldn't wait to crash on his bed that evening.

"Well, I have the last match in an hour, and from there, we will see if I make it to the final, this evening. Kakashi is optimistic though, the next match is against Lee"

He raised his brows at that, he was sure she could beat him, he had seen her fight, and had trained her himself when he had the time, and thought her some of his own techniques, the ones that always assured him victory. He was sure she was coming home with a trophy this time.

"I agree with him, focus on your goal, and you will make it"

"Of course I will! Thanks Itachi, I really wish you were here"

He ignored Shisui, that was greedily opening the bags of the take out he had ordered, from the look of it, he had ordered enough food for an army, but maybe Sasori and Kisame were coming to eat with them, so it could be justified.

"I miss you too, but you will be back tomorrow" his voice had lowered slightly and his tone was warmer, he really did miss her, although she hadn't been gone for too long, it was only four days today, and still, it had seemed forever.

He threw a piece of paper at his annoying cousin that was mocking him by sending him fake kisses.

"I gotta go, Sakura is yelling at me because I should be training, and Kakashi sensei is late"

He rolled his eyes at that, stifling a chuckle, he could picture her grinning at the pink haired girl.

"Why am I not surprised?"

He heard her chuckle, and he mimicked the gesture, covering his lips with a hand.

"Yeah, he's pretty predictable"

"Bye Naruko, see you tomorrow"

"Of course! I will be at your house, and don't make anything! I am going to make you dinner"

He winced at that, she wasn't the best cook around, and it was usually him, the one to prepare their food, while she watched, but lately she had stubbornly decided she had to learn since she was going to go and live on her own.

"Are you sure?"

"You don't trust my cooking skills?"

He could hear the faint drop in her voice, and he sighed, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.

"you know I don't"

It was true, and he didn't feel the need to lie, she was very much aware of his opinion.

"Well, you will after tomorrow! Believe me!"

She sounded so sure of herself, and he allowed a small tender smile to form on his face, despite Shisui's presence.

"Bye Naruko"

"Love you Tachi! See you tomorrow"

He groaned at her nickname for him, he hated it, and she was and he heard a faint giggle as he closed to phone, putting it on his desk, his gaze concentrating on the irritation he caller cousin.

"So, what's all this?" he asked, pointing at all the food splayed out on his desk.

"Well, I ordered from three different restaurants, they are supposed to be the best of Konoha." Shisui explained, taking a bite of sushi, Kisame will probably get pissed at them for eating it, but they didn't really care, he could go and complain to his girlfriend about it.

"And why would you do that?" he raised a brow in question, eyeing some steak, he hated steak, so he would leave that to Shisui.

"Well, I have to check which one is better, I am taking Hana out on a date tomorrow night"

"And you had to try out all restaurants in town just for that?" the younger Uchiha mused, and Shisui grinned widely, his eyes showing

That got Itachi's attention, if there was a relationship that was evolving quickly it was Shisui's and Hana's. She had finally opened the dog shelter she dreamed off, and recently Shisui had bought a new house for them to live in together with all the pets they had adopted. They now had two dogs, a cat, and two little parrots, and they needed space, so recently they had moved in together.

"Important…how?" he asked taking a rice ball with his chopsticks, eyeing Shisui curiously. He had a solemn look, and it was not something that was seen often on his cousin's face.

Shisui then, took something out from the pocket inside the jacket of his suit, leaving it on the table, a grin spread wide on his lips.

"Eh…. like, will you be my best man?" He was smiling widely now, his tone was dead serious, and his fingers kept fiddling with his chopsticks, as he waited for Itachi to react to the news.

Itachi almost choked on his food, and took a quick sip of water, giving a shocked look at the tiny box.

"You 're going to propose to her?" He couldn't believe it, although He had hinted at it, Itachi didn't believe he would make such a step, so soon.

"Yes, and hopefully she will say yes." He looked nervous all of a sudden, rubbing his hand on the back of his head, as he always did when he was agitated, and Itachi leaned back on his chair with a grin.

"You know she will" he tried to reassure him, picking a piece of sushi from Shisui's plate.

"I hope she does"

"I hope that's not Sushi, Uchiha" Another voice pitched in, and Itachi rolled his eyes, but carelessly put the mix of rice and raw fish in his mouth, drawing a low grunt of irritation from his friend.

"Give it a break Hoshigaki" Sasori muttered, grabbing a piece for himself with his hands, ignoring Kisame's quiet glare.

"Fine you traitors, just be aware that there is a special place in hell for you sushi lovers" The tall man, sat down on the chair next to Shisui who was happily munching on a piece of steak.

While Sasori sat lazily on the couch, with one of his legs up, and a plate in hand.

"I bought some crab cakes for you, in case you wanted some"

The older Uchiha passed the man a package, and Kisame gladly accepted, thanking him gruffly.

"So, someone's going to pop the question?" he asked noticing the small red velvet box that was still sitting on Itachi's desk, and gave Itachi a toothy grin, making the younger Uchiha raise a brow in question.

"I am going to propose to Hana" Shisui proudly announced, ignoring Sasori's groan of annoyance.

"Well, good for you" the man patted him on the back and the Uchiha nodded.

"Itachi is going to be my best man, and Sasori, I obviously am going to need Deidara and his crazy ideas to plan the wedding."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, propose, before getting my boyfriend all hyped up. He is still bothering me about Itachi's imaginary wedding"

Itachi shrugged hearing that.

"I don't plan on proposing anytime soon, Naruko is still in school. Tell Deidara that, since he won't let me finish everytime I try telling him"

Sasori groaned, it wouldn't be easy, he was deaf on that ear, and he was already starting to model the statues, and he didn't want to disturb him when he got into his artistic state, mostly because he was rather, well, crazy if someone bothered him.

"You want me dead, don't you Uchiha?" the red head glared at the black haired man that answered him by filling his mouth of sushi, shrugging his shoulders at the Akasuna, that frowned.

"Well, just wish me good luck guys! God knows I will need it, I have to meet her mother after work"

Shisui stretched his arms above his head, in an attempt to shrug off his uneasiness. Just thinking about meeting Tsume Inuzuka alone was enough to give him goosebumps.

"What for?" Kisame asked with his mouth full, that made Itachi wince at his bad manners.

"I'm an Uchiha, and we do things in an old fashioned way for absolutely no reason, so, as my father wants me to do, I am going to ask Tsume Inuzuka permission to marry her daughter."

The room filled with laughter, mostly Kisame's, that couldn't contain his hilarity at the situation, everyone knew that if there was one person Shisui feared was his future mother in law, so the thought of a stuttering Shisui asking her if he could marry Hana was enough to make all of them roar even more in laughter, Kisame holding his stomach as he tried to calm down, Itachi, deciding to take a sip of water from his cup, to calm down, even though he was aware of their family's traditional ways it still amused him greatly.

Sasori, was the only one that could show so much amusement in a dignified manner with his hand in front of his mouth, his shoulders shaking slightly, trying to calm down his hysterical laughing.

"Yeah, you idiots have fun at my expense" the Uchiha pouted, although he understood perfectly why they were laughing, damn he would join them if he wasn't the person that had inspired such hilarity.

"Oh man, how I wish I could be a fly on the wall, just to see the moment that scary woman slams your head on the table"

Sasori said, a smirk on his lips, as he tried to imagine such a scene.

"Oi man, don't get so upset, but, you know, call us when you're done, you know, to let us know you're alive" Kisame grinned as he got up from the table, he had to leave and get some work done, and to make a phone call. He was a closet gossip, and would probably call his girlfriend, and possibly Deidara to tell them about the news, which was the reason, Sasori jolted up, skimming behind him howling incomprehensible words, the only distinguishable ones were "Don't you dare call Deidara you over grown fish freak!"

The other two quietly watched them run out, and slam the door, which made Itachi flinch and Shisui sigh.

"Why do we have such friends?" the younger Uchiha softly asked at his cousin, that was wondering if he should go and stop them, or let them kill each other, the latter seemed a fascinating option.

"Hey, you were the one that befriended them in college and introduced them to me, so, I should be the one to question you"

"Hn" he was right about that.

"So, nervous for this afternoon?" he smirked resting his chin on his hands, as his dark eyes studied Shisui's apparently calm features. He knew him too well to be fooled by his typical extroverted attitude. The older Uchiha sighed, and covered his forming smile with his hand.

"So obvious?"

"What do you think?" Itachi now showed a matching smile of his own, his fingers entwining under his face, tilting it a little bit.

"That I will always be an open book to you, no matter how hardly I try to mask my feelings you will always be one step ahead of me"

"It's because I know you"

"I'm terrified. What if she doesn't give me permission? Or what if she gives it to me, and then Hana says no? what if it's too soon, I mean, we have been dating for a year, only a year! And we just moved in together, am I rushing things?"

Itachi sighed, leaning back in his chair, his fingers trailing on the wood of his desk.

"Hana loves you, and despite what her mother will tell you, it's Hana who has to make the decision, and I am sure she will make the right one"

"That doesn't comfort me you know, how can I propose to Hana if her mother is against it?"

Itachi smirked, and looked his cousin dead in the eye.

"Then cousin, show Tsume Inuzuka what Uchiha's are truly made of."

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Itachi was fixing a few things around his house, he had spent all morning cleaning up and ordering around although he had barely stayed home enough to actually mess it up, he had took advantage of Naruko being away to spend more time in the office and finish up some work, so he could have the week end completely void of work, and dedicate his time completely to her.

He knew she would be coming home from Suna in the morning, and had decided to see her in the evening, so she would have time to rest, and to admire the ' big ass trophy' as she had renamed it, when she had called him at midnight to tell him she had won the tournament, he could imagine her, gripping the thing tightly, and sitting it on the bed to just stare at it all day long.

He smiled, as he closed his bedroom closet after putting some suits he had picked up from the laundry the day before, and was now wondering if he should give a call to Shisui, just to hear if he was still alive, after the meeting with his mother in law. He had only received a text message, with "she said yes!"written on it, and a string of terrified looking emojis, but he figured he would call him tomorrow to listen to the full story, or wait when he saw him at work Monday, and get the full story.

It was past lunch time, and he was just finishing to wash the few dishes he had used, when his phone rang.

He dried his hands with a dish towel and answered with a smile on his face, despite Naruko couldn't actually see it.

"Itachi!" he frowned when he heard her whiny voice, and actually looked at his phone to double check he had read the name correctly, because it didn't sound like his cheery girlfriend's voice at all.

"Naruko?"

He heard a sob and his eyes widened, feeling the typical panic he would get when he heard her cry. Which was very rare, except for when she was in her time of the month. He still remembered the first time he had seen her on her period, they had ended up watching Cinderella, well, he had, she had spent half of the time, crying in his shoulder, because of how mean everyone was to the girl, and when she wasn't she was screaming about the girl abusing the poor mice.

"How could they do this to me?" She whined, and he sat down on a stool, scratching his forehead, he was pretty suspicious about what was going on, but he had to ask.

"Uh? What are you talking about? Is everything all right?"

He winced at her raising her voice, and he sighed, standing up and checking his fridge hoping to find some ice cream he had bought for her, when she was in that mood.

"No! nothing will ever be all right! How could you do this to me?"

Well, that was new, why was it his fault now? Obviously he knew better than to ask her that, he had gained some practice over the past months.

"Uh? What is going on? You want me to come over there?"

"I can't believe it! Everything is ruined now!"

And, melodramatic Naruko. Yes, she was definitely on her time of the month. Well damn it, his plans for the evening were surely ruined.

"I'm coming over there now"

"I mean, how could he kill Mufasa like that? An in front of Simba! I can't understand Itachi! How could they? He will be scarred forever!"

"What? Mufasa? Naruko, what are you doing exactly?"

"I'm watching the Lion King!"

Itachi understood what was going on now, and he knew that was not the best thing she could be doing right now. Dramatic movies were a big no no, she got way too emotional. He still remembered her the last time he was forced to watch Titanic, and she had ended up getting all his

"Ah…and where are your parents?"

"They went out together, like the happy couple they are, Simba's parents wont be able to do that anymore! Life is so unfair, I mean , why would Disney let little kids watch this?"

He was sure they had escaped, not that he minded being their replacement, he was happy to take care of her, despite the craziness that ensued in those days.

"I am coming over pause the movie until I get there"

"Ok, but-"

"No buts! See you in a bit"

He disconnected the phone call, put his shoes on and stepped out the door, grabbing the car keys. He had some places to stop to before he went there, he just hoped it wouldn't take too long.

Thirty minutes later he was at her door with his arms full of chocolate, ice cream, and a fuming extra large portion of miso ramen, that he was carefully managing to hold in one hand, and somehow he even managed to knock at the door without dropping anything.

The door opened, revealing a relieved and now completely blonde Menma, that practically pulled him inside with force, sighing heavily.

"Thank God you're here!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow at the young man and without asking questions made his way to the kitchen with the Namikaze following him as if he was his anchor for safety. The Uchiha was well accustomed with the house and reached the kitchen with no difficulty, dropping the things on the table with a huff, turning to finally meet the boy's gaze, that was nervously fiddling with his fingers.

"Tachi? Is that you?" Naruko's soft voice came from the living room, and the Uchiha sighed hearing her calling him by his stupid nickname, and glared at Menma that was chuckling, and doing a poor job of hiding his amusement.

"Yeah sis, your Tachi is here!"

The Uchiha growled lowly, and Menma gulped, trying to calm his laughter faking a fit of coughs, but Itachi couldn't be fooled so easily and raised his brow, unimpressed.

"Don't you have somewhere to go to?" the Uchiha asked calmly and the young Namikaze thought it wise to nod and disappear from his sight.

Itachi sighed again deciding against terrifying his girlfriend's twin, and walked to the living room to check on the blonde, bringing the ramen with him. He stopped in front of the couch, and she looked up at him, her blue eyes focusing on him, and her lips stretched out in a wide warn smile, and she opened up her arms, inviting him to lean down and kiss her deeply, as she enveloped her arms around him in a bone crushing hug.

"I missed you so much" she murmured, kissing him on the cheek, and he smiled, his fingers brushing gently through her hair, as he kneeled down in front of her.

"I missed you too" he said lovingly, and only he knew how that statement was true.

Naruko scooted up, raising the bundle of blankets that enveloped her like a cocoon, making space for the Uchiha, that carching up on the offer, sat down next to her, allowing her to cuddle up against him, letting out a content sigh.

"How are you feeling?" he asked gently, leaving a kiss on her forehead as he enclosed her small frame with his arms.

"Like a train ran over me. My body hurts all over because of Kakashi sensei intensive training all week, plus I have terrible cramps in my back and stomach, and I'm so nervous, I almost strangled Menma because he wouldn't share a stick of Dango with me"

Itachi raised a brow at that.

"I thought you hate Dango?" he questioned. They weren't in her range of favorite food, well, they weren't down her list like raw vegetables, but still.

"Itachi, you don't understand. Women go crazy during this time. Whatever it is, if it has sugar in it we have to eat it"

The Uchiha wasn't so dumb to go against her, she was a martial artist champion, just as he was, but he was a little out of shape, and she, although she wasn't in her best condition, would surely dismember him if it got to a fight. She was extremely strong when she wanted to be.

"It makes sense. So, did you succeed?"

"Tsk, who do you take me for! Of course I did. Menma doesn't have a big ass trophy in his room, does he?"

Itachi chuckled at that.

"Did I tell you how proud I am that you won that big ass trophy?"

She beamed at him, her finger resting on her lips as she thought about it.

"I don't remember, you were kind of groggy when I called you last night, I wouldn't mind hearing it again though"

"I am very very proud of you"

Naruko threw her arms around his neck, kissing him full on the lips.

"Next time though, I want you to come with me, and see me win" she murmured once they separated, stroking his cheek lovingly.

"Next time I promise I will be there"

"Thank you Tachi"

She grinned, getting back to her comfy position at his side.

"I brought you this" he was reminded about the hot noodles that had been forgotten next to the feet of the couch, and she beamed at him, switching fastly to a sitting position.

"Ah! I missed you too!" she looked at the cup of ramen adoringly, and Itachi chuckled lightly at her expression. He himself wasn't that fond of the dish, despite her efforts to convince him, he couldn't be persuaded to eat it as much as she did.

"I think I'm starting to feel jealous" he stated, leaning his head on a hand, tilting it a little bit to look at her, to catch every expression of her face

"I might love ramen, but not as much as I love you" she dived in to him again, kissing his cheek and he sighed shaking his head slightly. It was bad enough that she had to reassure him.

"That makes me feel better" he joked, and she stuck her tongue out at him, gaining just an amused chuckle as answer.

"So, do you want to watch something that isn't about a lion claiming his right the throne?" Itachi casually asked taking control of the remote, frowning at the television that was still on pause.

"But the best part is coming up though!" she protested, making the Uchiha sigh, pressing the play button, starting the movie again. He knew he would regret it later, when she would start crying at the first moving scene.

About twenty minutes later…

"Why does Simba seeing his dad again has to be so damn moving! it's the stupid music! No it's the monkey's fault! Why did he have to summon those funny looking clouds? why Itachi?" she was gripping his shirt, as he held her close with his arm, begrudgingly looking at the screen. He was glad she wasn't crying, yet, because he knew that the final scene would be the kicker, and he was impatiently waiting for the damn thing to end. It was proven that he went into mild panic when she cried, and that would not end up well. He might be the one that needed comfort food once the damn movie was over. That was why he was scheming of hiding all her DVD's once she moved in with him, because he couldn't handle going through three days of insanity once every month.

"He did it so Simba would walk down the right path, the one his father wanted him to follow. He just needed the right push"

Naruko sniffed, and he handed her another napkin anticipating the oncoming tears.

He was proven wrong, because it seemed they were coming earlier than he expected.

"You are so deep Tachi"

He sneered at that, pulling her closer and leaving a kiss at the top of her head.

"Silly girl" he murmured through her hair, and she hugged him, hiding her face at the crook if his neck.

He groaned when his phone rang, disturbing the quiet atmosphere, and he grabbed it from the floor where he had left it earlier rolling his eyes when he read who the caller was.

"What?" he annoyingly answered, ignoring Naruko's giggle, she knew he never answered in such an impolite manner, unless it was Shisui who was calling, and their conversations were always entertaining for her.

"I can't do it!" Shisui's voice sounded panicked, and Itachi pinched the bridge of his nose with a big sigh.

"Shisui, we went through this conversation yesterday, you can do it"

He tried to reassure him in a soothing tone, and he exchanged a glance with the blonde that was now looking at him with wonder. He smiled at her and stroked her lips wih a thumb, smirking at her cute forming pout.

"No! she will say no, and I will make a fool of myself, and then I will have nowhere to go, because obviously she will kick me out, and then I won't be able to see Susanoo anymore and will have to ask for custody! Will you take me if I need a place to stay?"

"I don't know, I might have place for Susanoo though"

There was before Shisui muttered again.

"You would take my dog in but not me? What the hell of a best friend are you?"

"The one thats you that you're acting plain ridiculous. She will say yes, and you and all the zoo you have in your house will live happily ever after"

Naruko raised a brow, at that.

"I will explain later" he promised her, and she seemed content with that, at least for the time being. He knew the third degree would start once he hung up.

"Who you're talking to?" Shisui asked, he had obviously heard them.

"Naruko"

"She with you? Does she think Hana will say yes?"

"she doesn't know about it yet"

"you haven't told her? You tell her everything! Let me talk to her"

Itachi groaned again, why did he put himself in such situations?

"I don't think this is the best time"

"You're not doing nasty things are you cousin? I know you didn't see her for a week but i-"

Didn't he wish he was. He was already hanging by a thread he wanted to slap his hand on his face so hard.

"Bye Shisui!"

"No! Don't leave me-"

Itachi sighed and disconnected the call, shaking his head at his irritating cousin.

"What was that all about?" Naruko curiously asked, and the Uchiha sighed, looking at her.

"Shisui is going to propose to Hana tonight, and he was a little… worried" desperate might have been more appropriate to describe what his cousin was feeling

"He is going to ask her to marry him?" her eyes widened in surprise, and she sniffed again.

"Yes." He simply answered, scratching the base of his neck with his hand, a little baffled by her expression. He couldn't understand if she was on the verge of tears or laughter, it was quite confusing.

"Naruko?" he called her, a frown marred his face as he studied her expression and he let out a small smile, as she hid her face in her overly large black shirt, that was actually his. He recognized it, because it had a particular design, and he had looked for it all over the place. She must have stole it the last time she had been at his house, before she left for the tournament.

"Is that my shirt?" he asked both eyebrows shooting up in question, he was aware she loved stealing his clothes, it wasn't the first time one of his shirt or sweat shirts had gone missing.

"Uh? What does that have to do with Shisui getting married? We should be talking about him!" she defended herself, backing away from him, covering her small figure, pulling the blanket up to her neck, to hide the evidence.

"Hn, don't try and change the subject, you little thief!"

He lounged forward, pushing her down on her back, his body on top of hers, as they wrestled with their arms, well, he was, as he tried to uncover her, and she tried to defend herself with her arms and legs.

"Tachi stop it!" she was laughing now, as he succeeded tto pull the blanket down to her hips, the black shirt completely into view, as she tried to escape his iron grip on her arms.

"I knew it!" he smirked as he sat on her waist his eyes narrowing as he studied her beautiful face. Her blue eyes, were open wide and a dark blush was now covering her cheeks as she tried to catch her breath. She was so damn tempting, and she didn't even realize it. It drove him crazy.

"When are you supposed to move in with the girls?" he asked out of the blue, and she raised a brow, wondering why he was asking.

"Uh?...college starts in two weeks, so, we all agreed for this Wednesday, well except Hinata, she will be moving in next week. Why?"

He smirked, and leaned down to capture her lips with his, in a slow searing kiss, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter, as the kiss deepened and she moaned softly into the

The kiss lasted until they both realized they had to breathe, and Itachi leaned his forehead against hers with a big sigh.

"I want you to spend next weekend at my place. Just me and you, alone." He knew that now that she was moving out of her parent's house, she would be free to do what she wanted, and they had already agreed that she would be spending every week end with him.

"I would really like that" she smiled, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs, and he kissed her tenderly on the tip of her nose.

"Good, Just know that you won't be leaving my bedroom for those two days" he smirked at her innocent expression and she blushed so much, even her ears burned, and she whacked him in his stomach, making him groan in pain.

"You big perv!"

"You like it"

She couldn't reply to that. It was true after all, so she just blushed some more, turning her head to the side avoiding his amused glance, that made her left eye twitch, and she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Bastard"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Author's note!

Sorry for the delay, I had some problems with this chapter, since my computer decided to hate me and I cancelled the original draft, and I had to write it all over again, which took me some time.

Next chapter we will see Shisui's proposal, and other surprises! Let me know what you think, and I hope next chapter will be up sooner than this one!

Thank you a always for the reviews and to all of you who have added this story to their alert list!

Till next time!

Darkshadows92

Oh and here's a little something, I just wrote up, thinking some of you might like it!

Bonus:

How Shisui asked for Tsume's blessings to marry her daughter!

Shisui was fidgeting nervously, his leg tapping furiously on the floor, as he waited for the woman to answer the door.

He had showed up at perfect time, the one she had agreed to meet him after work, and he was starting to think she was letting him wait there just for the pure pleasure of making him suffer. The woman was cunning, and had probably sensed that he had to ask her something important, although there really didn't need a genius to figure that much, since Shisui had never asked for a meeting with his future mother in law.

The door finally opened, revealing the brown haired woman, and she gave him an apologetic look.

"Excuse me for the long wait, I had some work to finish. Well, come in, don't stand there like a stiff statue, I swear, all you Uchiha's always look like you have a stick up your asses"

He rolled his eyes at that comment, her dislike for the whole Uchiha family was no secret, although she had grown a little warmer to Shisui, mostly because of Hana.

"It's no problem Mrs Inuzuka, I wasn't there for long" he answered politely, waiting for her to invite him to sit down, showing the strict education he had received.

"What are you doing standing there? Sit down, I made us some tea" the woman invited him at the kitchen table, where some tea cups and some pastries were laid out.

He nodded, and sat down on a chair, exactly in front of her.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about? Must be important if you asked to meet me alone, I know you're terrified of me" she smirked widely, and he gulped. Damn it, she knew.

"Stop it Shisui, she can smell your fear you know" he thought, trying to control his nerves.

He squared his shoulders, instantly reminding Itachi's words.

"Show her what you're made of"

He was an Uchiha, and he came from one of the most prestigious families in Konoha, he wouldn't let this woman, make him forget that. After all Shisui Uchiha, was no coward.

"I…well" he paused as she poured some tea in his cup, just in case she would decide to pour the hot tea on his oants in retaliation, so he waited for her to put the teapot down.

"So?" she asked impatiently, her eyebrow raising as her brown eyes looked straight into his darker ones.

"I want to ask you permission to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage" He didn't know why he chose all those fancy words, maybe because it was what his father had told him to say, but whatever, the cat was out of the bag now, and he closed his eyes, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"You want to marry my daughter? And you're asking for my blessings?" her voice slightly raised, and Shisui felt cold sweats running down his spine.

"I…well yes" his voice lowered, and he wished he could disappear.

"Well may I be damned! I wasn't expecting you to be so traditional!" she boomed, her hand patting him in the back hardly making him wince.

"Of course I give you my permission! And tonight you are staying for dinner! My son in law! I have to admit, I had fun torturing you a little bit! Kiba, come out of your room! Your sister is getting married!"

Shisui felt like fainting, it had gone better than he could ever imagine. He was starting to like this crazy woman!


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Shisui was sweating, and it wasn't because of the heat. He was agitated, and he tried to undo his tie a little bit, as Hana in front of him eyed him curiously, as she calmly ate her fancy meal, appreciating every bite, she had never ate such a delicious lobster, but her fidgeting boyfriend was ruining the atmosphere, making her nervous as well. She rested her fork down, leaning her elbows on the table, glaring at Shisui, that at first didn't realize it, but was slightly frightened once he met her eyes. She would make a perfect Uchiha, she had almost perfected the death glare.

"Ok. What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked, her brown eye brow raising slightly.

"Me? Nothing, I am completely fine" he tried to answer, fanning himself with his hands, he felt even worse now.

"It sure doesn't look like it" she commented, her eyes searching his, but he lowered his gaze, taking a deep breath.

"Are you hot? You look like you're sweating" she observed, tilting her head a bit in amusement.

"What can I tell you, I might be coming down with something, you know, the flu"

Hana frowned, realizing he was trying to bullshit her, but he did look a little out of sorts.

"Shisui, we're in august! Now be serious and tell me what is wrong with you!"

He had forgot about that, he could have simply said he was hot, it would have been a more reasonable justification.

"Oh…then I guess it's this heat, I might be a little overdressed"

Hana smiled at him, he was too pretty for her to stay mad at him for too long, at last in that occasion, she loved the slight pink blush that had formed on his cheeks, it was such a rare sight.

"I told you you didn't need the jacket, you would have been fine with a dress shirt"

She reminded him as she resumed eating her meal, imitated by Shisui, but he simply pinched his dinner, with a small frown, ignoring Hana's curious gaze. He was too quiet, and he wasn't devouring his meal like he usually did.

"Shisui, you're acting very weird, is…is something wrong?" she tried asking again, and he stood up stiffly, smiling widely at her.

"I…gotta go to the restroom, I will be back soon"

He disappeared from view and she blinked furrowing her brows as she watched him walk to the bathroom.

Shisui closed the door with a big breathe and took out his phone, composing the number quickly, glad he knew it by heart, and waited for the other person to pick up.

"Hello?" he heard the voice and thanked the lord, he was afraid he would ignore his call.

"Hey Itachi what are you doing cousin?" he happily spoke, and he could already imagine his cousin's brow raising.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the restaurant by now proposing to your girlfriend?" he heard the other's voice and from the way he said it, he was sure he was smirking. Damn Itachi.

"Yeah…but there's no hurry the evening is long" he trailed off, looking at himself at the mirror, fixing his tie a little bit.

"You're panicking"

"Hey! I'm n-"

"You are. Why would you call me if it wasn't so?"

Damn Itachi, maybe calling him wasn't such a great idea.

"Well…we'll see when it's your turn!"

"Hn" the customary Uchiha answer, his cousin was infuriating. Was he always like this or was he particularly nervous to handle Itachi's blunt ways?

"Is Naruko there? I think I'd rather talk to her."

"No, she's not here, but there's Deidara if you wish, he's blonde, and has pretty interesting opinions"

No! For the love of God, anyone but not Deidara. He'd rather talk to Sasori if he had to chose, even if his words would probably be less than encouraging.

"hey Shisui! I hear that you're panicking?"Deidara's high voice came through and Shisui cursed Itachi under his breath. He was sure his cousin was laughing in a corner, maybe with that idiot of Kisame.

"No Deidara, I'm fine really, I think I should go-"

"No no no! you can't fool me! I know you're probably scared she might say no"

"Well, yes, a little bit-"

"And you know, I wouldn't blame her if she did"

Shisui rolled his eyes, well that was a comforting thought.

"But, I already designed your wedding invitations, and I already bought the material to start making statues, so, if you don't want to die a premature death, you better get down on one knee and propose, or expect some accident to happen any time soon!

Shisui rolled his eyes harder, and slapped his hand on his forehead. Well, if his imminent death by the hands of Deidara wasn't enough to convince him, he might need another push.

He heard some muffled noises, followed by Deidara screeching about something, and then the line went silent, and he looked at his phone with a raised eyebrow to check if the call was still connected, and he put it back against his ear, as he heard someone else get on the line.

"Don't listen to him, he's upset about some stupid soap opera"

Sasori's bored voice came through, and Shisui looked at the phone in wonder, had Itachi organized a party that night?

"Ah, I thought he was seriously threatening my life."

"Oh no, he will kill you if you don't propose"

"That sure is comforting"

"You know she'll say yes, so get over your panic attack and do it"

Shisui nodded, the call disconnecting. Who knew Sasori would be the most reasonable of them all?

He fixed his jacket, touching the small box in his pocket, the only reason he had insisted on wearing the heavy garment.

He squared his shoulders, he had already faced Tsume Inuzuka, there was nothing he should fear anymore, well,

He walked back to their table, and found Hana had already finished her meal.

"Shisui? Are you ok?" she asked again, her face scrunched up in worry. He was really red, and she really was starting to fear he wasn't feeling well, and that he wasn't joking earlier. The restaurant was fancy and they had the Air conditioning going, so he shouldn't be sweating like that.

" I was just.." was the room spinning? Or was it just him?

"You look awful, I think you're really coming down with a fever. I asked for the check while you were in the bathroom. I think we should head home"

Hana smiled softly, and Shisui's eyes widened. He couldn't believe it was really happening. He had to propose and he was feeling sick, this wasn't how he wanted this evening to end.

"You didn't even get dessert" he murmured feeling a little puzzled by the situation. His romantic evening was turning into a disaster, he was sure Itachi would have a good laugh once he told him.

"I don't care about dessert, Come on, let's go home, I want to measure your temperature and get you straight to bed.

Hana was trying to be comforting, but she didn't understand how important that evening was for the Uchiha. She couldn't imagine, he hadn't given her any warning, and Tsume and Kiba had promised to keep their mouths shut as had Itachi.

"But…our evening, I had other plans…" he tried to fight back, but to no use, there was no way

"Don't worry, we can come another time, when you will feel better"

"But I…we can't leave now!" he tried to protest again, but he suddenly felt dizzy, and had to sit back on his chair.

"Shisui you look terrible!"

Hana tried to muffle her worry with a smile, because he really did look awful. He had bags under his eyes, his hair were sticking to his sweaty forehead.

"Eh….wow I guess there's nothing I can say against that" he scratched the back of his neck, now that he actually thought about, he did feel weak and the room was spinning again. He might just faint.

Twenty minutes later she was tucking him in a bundle of covers on the sofa, after helping him change in sweatpants and a plain white t shirt, but he had jealously held on to his jacket where the small box was still laying in his pocket.

"Here you are, pillows, your favorite tv program, and I'm going in the kitchen to make us some pop- corn and I'll look for something to lower that fever" he smiled softly at her, and she smiled back, he didn't need any more confirmation, she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, and his fever be damned, he was going to ask her to marry him that night.

She walked away for a couple of minutes, completely unaware of the Uchiha's plotting.

Susanoo their black Labrador, was laying at the feet of the couch, silently guarding the poor sick Uchiha, and Shisui stroked his fur with his hand, a lazy smile on his lips.

"This is going to be an important evening, boy, just watch"

Susanoo raised his black eyes and yawned in front of Shisui's hand, uncaring of his owner's resolve, laying his head on his black paws and closing his eyes.

Hana, walked back from the kitchen, with a thermometer in her hand and a box of ice cream in the other.

She stood by the couch, and stuck the thermometer in his mouth .

"Look what I found! We had some of that delicious chocolate ice cream left in the fridge! I don't think you should eat it though, so I'm making you some hot tea."

She informed him as she sat down next to his legs, and he wounded his arm around her waist, pulling her towards him.

"You shouldn't move with that thing in your mouth" she reprimanded him, interrupted by the beeping of the thermometer that signaled that it was done.

"100,4" Hana read out loud, and sighed, standing up again, to go and turn off the boiler, and look for some medicine.

"I better go and get you some aspirin"

"You are such a perfect girlfriend, taking care of me nursing me back to health" he pulled her back, making her feet tip against the hard wood at the base of the couch, causing her to fall against him with a thump.

"Shisui! You are burning up, you need to take something to lower that fever!" she protested, trying to wiggle out of his iron grip.

"It can wait, I need to do this before I pass out"

He paused for a second, and took a deep breath, taking the small box out of the pocket of his jacket, playing with it, keeping it hidden underneath the covers.

"That's why you need medication!" she huffed, but he simply pulled her body against his, with a chuckle.

"Just be quiet and let me do this, then you can put your sexy nurse outfit and give me all the medicine you want"

He smirked at her pouty expression.

"That is a halloween costume" she retorted, rolling her eyes. If there was one thing about her pervy boyfriend, was that he thought that everything she wore looked sexy. Even her heavy house pajamas. It was pretty flattering for her.

"Still, it's sexy as hell"

"I think you're delirious, must be the fever" she leaned her palm against his burning forehead.

"Hana, this evening didn't go exactly as I had planned"

He admitted, looking her straight in her brown eyes, and she was taken aback by the intensity in his darker ones. It was rare seeing him so serious.

"It's ok, we can make up for it another time" she passed her hand through his dark brown curls, a soft smile on her face.

"No, there's no need for it" he smiled crookedly, lowering his gaze, taking another deep breath. He hadn't really thought of how he was going to ask her, so he simply decided to go with the moment, after all it was the best he could do, in his conditions.

"I had planned a special evening…for a very specific reason…actually" he started to explain, and Hana's eyes widened, and a pink blush started to expand on her cheeks, as something started to connect in her mind.

"Shisui…you…you weren't actually…"

He smiled softly, taking her hand in his, kissing it gently, stroking her palm with his fingers, as he revealed what his other hand was holding.

Hana blinked at the small red velvet box, her mind finally catching up, and she gasped, one of her hands covering her mouth in a gesture of disbelief.

"I waited twelve years for you to accept to go out with me on a date. I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you, that day in high school, and, I think it's admirable that I have pursued you for all that time. I realize I might have been a little overbearing at times" he grinned a bit, peeking at her from under his long eyelashes, and he felt a burst of tenderness at her, and he enveloped her hand with his. Hana, from her point of view, didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry, her emotions mixing together, exploding in a burst of warm tears that fell from her eyes, trailing along her cheeks.

"What I'm trying to tell you is…I can't imagine a life without you…Hana…will you marry me?"

There was a moment of total silence. It was so quiet Shisui thought he could hear crickets singing outside before Hana actually had a reaction, and without any warning, jumped on him, her arms snaking around his neck, kissing him all over his face, and now it was him who couldn't tell if she was crying or laughing, until she found his lips, and he didn't care anymore, his mind already drifting to other things as she kissed him deeply, letting a small moan slip from her throat, the small box Shisui had been holding, fell on the floor with a soft thud, that was enough of a distraction to separate them, and Hana pick it up close to Susanoo's paws. A small smile on her lips.

"So, yes or no?" The Uchiha asked, shooting her a cocky grin. Her display had been enough confirmation for him, but he did want to hear her say it.

"Yes" she whispered softly against his lips, before kissing him again.

Needless to say, the next day, they were both forced in bed by the fever.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Kiba raised his glass with enthusiasm, he had decided to give a toast, ignoring that half of his audience was drunk, or passed out, or had enough sense to ignore whatever came out from his mouth.

"Cheers to Naruko's big ass trophy! And to her ass in general"

"Stupid dog breath!" Came the ready answer from the blonde, and she tried to hit him, but she was starting to see double, and punched Menma's arm instead. Of course, he didn't even notice, since Naruko had put very little force in it, or he was too drunk to notice, it was either one.

Kiba laughed stupidly at the blonde's action, and waved his glass of sake in front of his face, and poured it down in one go.

They were at Ichiraku's ramen, the place Naruko had chose to have a little party with her friends, to celebrate her first victory in such an important competition, and exactly in her style, had treated everyone to ramen, not that anyone had decided to protest, well except Sasuke, but she had ignored him. It was her evening after all, and she had even accepted to wear a dress for the occasion.

Itachi had decided to stay home, and let her enjoy an evening with her friends, he had work to do anyway, until his srupid friends had decided to invite themselves over, so he was having a small party of his own, against his will.

Hinata, Sasuke and Shino, were the only ones that were still sober, while the others were in various drunken stages. Rock Lee was the worst, he didn't drink as much as the others had, but he had more difficulty in keeping it down, so, Neji was trying to hide the bottle of liquor in any way he could.

"Naruko! The power of youth flows strong in you! You defeated me, who also has the power of youth! So it was a youthful victory!" Lee said, standing and raising his glass, spilling half of it, since it was too full.

"Will they give him a bonus if he says youth for so many times or what?" Sasuke wondered and he sighed as his girlfriend laughed out loud pointing a finger at Lee for no reason. He so hardly wanted to slam his hand on his face, but he was an Uchiha, and he would never lower himself to show any form of desperation.

"Hey Uchiha, I think you should call your brother here, and show him what the power of youth really is about!" Rock Lee pointed a finger back at Sasuke, who raised an eyebrow. Despite all this time, the boy still held some sort of competition towards the older Uchiha, that wasn't absolutely aware of it.

"Lee, leave Tachi out of this...he will kick your ass" the blonde Namikaze slugged, trying to hit Rock Lee to defend her boyfriend's honor. Naruko wasn't very behind Lee , she wasn't used to drinking and it was pretty noticeable.

"He he, Naruko said ass!" Sai laughed, imitated by a giggling Ino.

"Sai, you said it too!" Ino slapped him on the arm, covering her mouth with her other hand, trying to stop the fit of giggles.

"I think Itachi is pretty acquainted with Naruko's 'power of youth' if you know what I mean" Ino wiggled her eyebrows and Kiba roared in laughter as he drunkenly almost fell off his stool.

"What do you mean?" The energic teen asked, his eyebrows knotting in question, unfortunately, he wasn't totally over thr blonde haired girl, although she was unaware of his feelings, the rest of the group was.

Sasuke wanted to kill himself. The levels of stupid had increased, and his own girlfriend was laughing for no reason by his side. Maybe it was time to leave, Sakura looked like she needed to get to bed.

"Stop talking about such things…you guys are so…so gross!"

Naruko pushed Kiba out of his stool, this time managing to make him slip down and bang his butt on hard concrete.

"What Beautiful here means is that Naruko and Uchiha have ban-"

"Don't you dare complete that sentence, if you don't want to die, Sai" Sasuke threatened with a venomous voice.

"We are talking about my brother and the dobe over there!"

He shuddered at the mere thought of those two doing such things. The horror of it.

"I will challenge Uchiha for taking Naruko's purity!" the bowl haired cut boy, declared, somehow standing up on the stool. It was pretty impressive.

"Lee, maybe you should stop drinking" Neji, who was only lightly inebriated tried to take the bottle away from his best friend, but he jealously hugged it, keeping it close to him.

"Mean Neji"

"Maybe we should tie him up" Ten Ten offered, and the Hyuga was really considering it.

"How are we going to get them home?" Hinata asked worriedly, her hands fiddling as she hoped the Uchiha had a solution.

"I say we abandon them here" Shino offered, but Hinata frowned at the answer. It was pretty obvious they couldn't do that.

"Menma is knocked out, he and Naruko can't go home in these conditions, their mother will kill them" the girl reminded the Uchiha, she was concerned for her boyfriend.

"I'm not drunk mom!" Menma raised his head, and he had a stupid grin on his face, as he chuckled at himself, turning to his girlfriend with a smirk.

"How you doin?" he winked at her and she lowered her head emb

"I think I know what to do" Sasuke sighed, there was only a few people they could rely on to help them in that situation, he wasn' really looking up to those conversations, but he had to, or they would never be able to get them home.

"I will go and make a few phone calls, let's hope the idiots can manage for a few seconds"

Twenty minutes later…

"Itachi's hair is just so shiny…I mean, it's so soft, and silky..." Naruko sighed, she was mumbling nonsense, and had been going on about herboyfriend's hair for a while now. Half of her friends were either passed out, like Kiba, Rock Lee, Sai, Shikamaru and even Menma who was happily snoring in Hinata's lap. Sasuke was almost tempted to strangle the Dobe, the only thing that kept him from doing it was that Itachi would probably strangle him after that.

"Neji has the softest hair, I can't believe my boyfriend uses more hair products than me, I envy his hair so much! Have you girls noticed how shiny they are?" Ten Ten joined the conversation, she was also drunk now, having indulged in a few drinks herself.

"That is so not true!" the Hyuga protested, hearing what the conversation was about, and Sasuke couldn't hold in a snort of disdain.

"What beauty queen, don't want to share your beauty secrets, come on, you can tell ol' Ino here, I promise I won't tell" The Yamanaka wound an arm around Neji's shoulder giggling, and the Hyuga rolled his eyes in despair.

"Sasuke has the best hair ever" Sakura declared, and the Uchiha in question raised a brow. He knew that whatever was going to be said after that, wasn't going to be good.

"The Teme? Please, it looks like a duck's butt!"

Naruko laughed, and Sasuke grimaced at the image, and even Sakura couldn't find a good enough retort, which was unusual for her.

"he should let it grow…like Itachi…everybody should let their hair grow out like his…he has such pretty hair"

The blonde sighed dreamily, leaning her head on her splayed out arms resting on the counter. She was getting sleepy, but the feeling of someone's arms snaking around her waist shook her up a bit, and she blinked when she met Itachi's black eyes staring amusedly at her

"I hope that is not my only quality" he joked, kissing her on the cheek, frowning at the smell of liquor on her. The girl's eyes widened almost comically, as she stared back with hazy blue eyes. It was obvious to the Uchiha that she was struggling to form a coherent sentence.

"Tachi? Eh eh, there are two of you!" she giggled, and turned to face him completely, throwing herself against him in a bout of enthusiasm, faltering in her steps, and he caught her by the arms steading her.

"More for me to love!" she happily threw her arms around him, jumping in place. He had to struggle to keep her in place.

"How much did she have to drink?" he asked his brother with a raised eyebrow forcing himself to ignore Naruko, that now was petting his hair, sighing softly, showing everyone just how shiny and soft his hair was. He let out an amused huff at her actions, looking forward to future teasing.

"Who knows, I lost count after the first four glasses" Sasuke answered, trying to keep Sakura still, and held back a frown of disgust avoiding to look at the way Naruko was fondling with his brother's hair. She looked obsessed by it.

"How do you keep it so soft Tachi?" she giggled again, and the Uchiha sighed, resigned.

"I didn't know you loved my hair so much, like I said, I hope it's not the only thing you like about me"

"No, you have a nice butt too" Naruko was bolder when she was drunk, he knew she would never say such things in front of her friends if she was sober, he was interestingly amused by her actions.

"I agree to that" Ino gave a good look at his behind with no shame. Itachi raised a brow at her, and Sasuke, finally smacked his hand on his face, in despair.

"hey, stop checking out my brother in law's ass, Pig!"

Sakura waved a fist in the air, but the strongest reaction came from the blonde in the Uchiha's arms.

"Stay away from him, he's mine!" she wound her arms around Itachi in a possessive way, growling at the other blonde, that scoffed at her.

"I just stated the obvious"

Even Itachi was impressed by her boldness, but that didn't calm his girlfriend.

"You want to fight Yamanaka?" she showed her fist to the pale blonde, and Sakura raiser her hands in the air with a "whooo!" that made Sasuke wince.

"I bet a hundred bucks on 'Ruko!"

Sasuke was about to say something, when someone stomped in the place with a furious growl.

"Where is that goddamn idiot of my boyfriend?" Temari gave a really chilling image to all the males in the room.

"Nara is over there" Sasuke pointed towards a slumbering Shikamaru, even the stoic Uchiha cowered in front of the Sabaku. She was a scary woman.

She stomped towards the poor Nara, and he opened one eye, paling at seeing his girlfriend's face.

"What the!" he screamed fearing a painful death, at least that was it looked like she was going to do to him.

"We are going home, now! And you better not throw up in my damn car, or I'll make you clean it!"

"Troublesome woman" he slugged, as she helped him up, and he winded his arm around her shoulders to keep his balance.

"Thank you for calling me, this crybaby wouldn't have managed on his own"

The Sabaku said looking at the younger Uchiha, that just nodded, the girl looked at a giggling Ino and a passed out Sai, and sighed.

"I guess you need help for those two too"

"Actually, yes. I am taking Naruko and Sakura with Sasuke at my place"

"And, Neji is taking Lee a and Ten Ten home, and he will take Menma with Hinata to his place since his uncle is away"

"So we have everyone settled?" Sasuke asked looking around.

Shino had already brought Kiba and Choji home, so they were all set.

" Very well, I think I saw enough for tonight, let's go home little girl, you had enough fun"

He gathered her form in his arms and brought her out, where his car was parked, followed by Sasuke and a hyper Sakura.

"I am going to cover you in kisses Tachi!" she leaned in, kissing his cheek, trailing down his jaw as he tried to put her in the car,

"Naruko love, you have to cooperate so we can go home and put you in bed, ok?"

"You want to put me in bed Tachi?" she murmured, convinced she sounded sexy.

"Make her stop talking or I'm going to be sick!" the younger Uchiha protested, and Itachi ignored him, concentrating on Naruko.

"Yes, so you can wear off all the sake you drank tonight" he smirked at her pouty face, and he finally buckled her seat belt pecking her on the nose.

"Mary had a little lamb…little lamb…" Naruko was jumping on the bed, as Itachi was trying to get her to bed. She was hyperactive when she was sober, but when she was drunk, he found out she was even worse. He only hoped Sasuke was having an easier time with Sakura, in the spare room.

"Naruko, please stop jumping!" he was now in his house pants, shirtless, because his girlfriend had stole it from his hands when he was trying to get dressed, and now was jumping on his bed gripping it tightly in her hands.

"Only if you stay like that" she sang, throwing the shirt at the feet of the bed.

"All right"

She grinned and sat on the bed, shredding her dress, leaving her with only her lace black bra and matching underwear. He raised a brow at that, she sure was bolder than usual. She was absolutely tempting, but he didn't want to take advantage of her inebriated state, and she was still in those days, so, that was definitely a big turn off.

"Naruko I-"

"Tachi…don't you want me?" she purred, crawling towards him in a seductive way, that made him want to jump her immediately, but he had already rationally decided against it, so he sighed, collecting his shirt from the floor and putting it on her, struggling a little bit

"You have no idea…but, unfortunately you are not in the best conditions, next weekend though…" he kissed her cheek with a smile, and she huffed.

"You are so mean"

"Come on, let's get some sleep now, I am sure you're dead tired" he said getting under the sheets, and she snuggled in his arms with a content sigh, and he turned the lights off, hoping to get some rest.

Peace didn't last long, though.

"Tachi…I need to throw up"

Yes. That was going to be a very long night for both Uchiha brothers.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

"My head…it hurts so damn much." She hissed hiding her whole face with the pillow, there was too much light in the room, Itachi had apparently decided to open the damn shutters while she was asleep, the damn sadist.

She had woken up because of the stupid light almost blinding her, and she had cursed so loudly, she was sure Itachi had heard her, wherever he was, before another question troubled her not so awake brain. Why was she even in his bed? at his apartment? She didn't remember what had exactly happened the night before, well apart from her indulging in sake a little more than she was used to.

It made her feel terrible, not only because of the horrible hang over, but also because she wasn't the type of girl that could be seen drunk in a bar, it had never happened before, and she was embarrassed, although, she reasoned, there wasn't really anything wrong in having fun with friends, she was almost in college and she had the right to have some fun, but what would her parents think if they knew? She had never seen Minato anywhere near alcohol, and her mother barely drank wine, she knew they wouldn't be happy if they found out. Jiraiya her godfather would be proud but she sure didn't felt very proud of herself at the moment.

What about Itachi, what would he think of her?

Would he think she was an immature stupid teenager? Or would he understand? After all, she was sure he had also done some stupid things during his college years, just that she wasn't around to witness it, so she couldn't use that to her advantage if he said anything.

Ashamed she covered her whole body with the covers when she heard footsteps approaching, she had to yet meet the Uchiha that morning, he had slipped out of bed earlier, and she didn't really feel like facing him, and meet his disappointed look. She almost had a heart attack when she felt the door opening and closing, and those steps get closer to the bed, her hang over didn't help, every sound she heard, made her head pound in pain, although Itachi was trying to be quiet.

The noise stopped, and she held her breath, if Itachi thought she was sleeping, he might leave her alone.

"Naruko get out from under there, I brought you something that will make you feel better" His voice was low with a tint of amusement to it, that made her swell her cheeks with a pout, aware that he couldn't see her.

"I'm sleeping!" her voice was weak and muffled by the sheets, she cursed, realizing that she shouldn't had answered him if she wanted him to believe she was really asleep.

"Ah ha you almost tricked me" he said, raising the covers, a sly grin on his lips as he met her blue clouded eyes, and pouty lips, as she curled in a ball on his bed, covering her eyes with her hands.

"My eyes… you evil man!" she screeched, sending an evil glare at the man.

Itachi huffed, chuckling at the sight, a hand on his hips, as he stood there watching her.

"Your evil boyfriend brought you some coffee and aspirin, here it will make you feel better" he sat at the edge of the mattress, handing her a mug of coffee, and she wrinkled her nose at the strong scent.

"Ugh…I don't think I can hold it down" she warned, her stomach felt so empty, but so sick still.. she didn't really feel like eating or drinking anything.

Naruko groaned, sitting on her knees scooting closer to the Uchiha, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I feel terrible Tachi" she whined and he tilted his head to rest against hers.

"That's what happens when you get drunk"

"About that…are you…mad at me?" she asked hiding her face in his shoulder.

"I would be a hypocrite if I was, I had my fair share of fun during my college years"

He kissed her on the head, forcing her to look at him in the eyes. He was so understanding, and she was grateful for it.

"Although I don't want to encourage you to indulge in these type of entertainments"

"Trust me, never again." She reassured him.

"Are you sure coffee will make me feel better?"

"Believe me, I have experience in these sort of things" he pushed the mug into her hands with a smile, that was slightly frightening in her opinion.

"But…."

"No buts, it's already midday, and we still have to deal with your parents, so trust me you will need this"

"Do we really?"

"Yes, they are waiting for you in the living room, after all"

Naruko almost spat out the sip of coffee she had just drank.

"They are here! Why didn't you tell me immediately?" sje stood abruptly, looking for some decent clothes, she was glad she had already brought some of her things there, so she didn't have to walk out and meet her parents wearing just Itachi's shirt. She knew her parents were very tolerant, but her father had already accepted a lot of things and she was sure this might just be the time he might attempt to murder the Uchiha.

"I called them earlier to reassure them that you were here safe, and that you were doing well, and they offered to bring lunch. They are having an amiable conversation with a grumpy Sasuke right now"

A side of his lips quirked up, in a half smile. Sasuke had a terrible night, worse than his own. Sakura apparently was a talkative drunk, and a very happy one at that. She had practically talked his ears out, and when she wasn't talking she was throwing up, so he barely had any sleep, Itachi himself considered himself lucky if compared to his sibling

"The Teme is here?" she asked with a raised eyebrow turning to face her boyfriend that was still sitting on the bed, his eyes following her in resigned silence.

"You don't remember much from yesterday evening do you?" He asked, standing up a wide smirk marring his soft features, as he put a strand of his black loose hair behind his ear, in a sensual slow way, that made Naruko wonder what she could have done to embarrass herself, she didn't really care though to find out, entranced by his shiny hair. It really did look like she had a fetish for it, much to the Uchiha's amusement. It was the reason he had let then floe freely that morning, instead of tying them in his typical low ponytail.

"Uhhh….no? what….what did I do?" she was now blushing madly, as she tried to hide behind the huge wardrobe door, as she slipped on a pair of orange tights, she had found in the mess in the part Itachi had reserved for her stuff, and that she kept on postponing to fix.

He didn't sound mad or disappointed, and that made her realx a little bit, she only wished she didn't do anything stupid, but she was sure he

Itachi walked behind her, his arms snaking around her waist his chest resting against her back, kissing her at the nape of her neck.

"Apart from showing a wide appreciation for my hair and behind you mean?" he teased, his lips mere inches from her skin as he spoke, causing her to feel shivers run up and down her body.

"I-Itachi" she stuttered, stiffening in his arms as his hands started to stroke her stomach, his fingers sneaking under the shirt to touch her flesh.

"You don't remember trying to get me into bed with you? Stripping for me? You little tease…" he bit the top of her ear, and her cheeks darkened some more, gasping at his bold action. Her knees felt weak as his hot breath tickled her ear

"My parents are in the other room…" she reminded him, hoping he would let her go and stop the sweet torture.

"I know…I wish they weren't though."

"You called them!" she reminded him, managing to turn around in his arms and face him, he was grinning now, his dark endless eyes fixed in hers.

"They would have figured out that you were here anyway, I just prevented them from bursting here and catch us in some inconvenient situation"

Itachi wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at her, and she blushed again, catching on what he meant, gasping so loudly she was out of breath, and he chuckled, freeing her from his grasp.

"Itachi!" she managed to hold her screech down, or who knows what her parents might think hearing such sounds come out from the room.

"What? you started it" he was in the mood to tease her apparently, he kissed her, before tapping his index and middle finger on her forehead, with a loving smile on his lips..

"Next time love, I won't refuse such an invitation"

Naruko believed she couldn't blush more than that, but she was proven wrong, when he smirked in such a sexy and allusive way, and she almost wished they were alone in that moment, even if she wasn't sure she could repeat such bold actions while she was sober. It had been a one time occurrence, because she promised herself she would never get drunk like that again. Itachi though, had appreciated her attempt to seduce him, and she found that it sparked something in herself too.

Itachi smiled at her contemplative look, and pinched her cheek, distracting her from her thoughts.

"Now listen to me, take a shower take this aspirin, and I will go and entertain your parents while you get ready and give Sasuke a break, so he can check on Sakura"

"Sakura is here too?"

Itachi nodded, and Naruko really had to get him to tell her what exactly happened yesterday evening, because she was feeling way more confused as more details emerged.

"Anyway, I am already dressed, I don't need a shower" she could use one, but she didn't want Itachi to go through the third degree with her parents alone because of her stupidity, especially because he hadn't been there with her while she was being irresponsible.

"Are you sure? You reel of alcohol" he made her notice, and she caught a strand of her hair and she smelt it, scrunching her face at the disgusting smell.

"I think I got the point" she answered flatly, and sighing, she grabbed her set of clean clothes and walked into the bathroom, followed by Itachi's amused glare.

"Lunch will be ready by the time you'll be done, then you can eat something and you will feel better"

Naruko poked her head out the bathroom's door to glare at her dark haired boyfriend.

"Seriously Itachi, don't even mention food!"

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

"What I am trying to say is, that back in my days, kids your age weren't allowed to drink! I mean, who would even-"

"What are you talking about Minato? You used to sneak out on your parents and go have fun with that Ero sensei of yours!"

Kushina interrupted her husband's rant, and Sasuke was grateful to her for that. Seriously, the man had been going on for twenty minutes, grumping about how irresponsible his two children had been, and how unhappy he was of their behavior. The younger Uchiha didn't think he could stand another minute of it.

"Those times were solely for teaching purposes!"

The blond man defended himself. His children didn't need to know of all the foolish stuff he had done in his youth. He would loose his authority if they knew.

"Of course! Because learning the perfect technique to spy on unaware woman at the local Spa is a very useful subject"

The red headed woman crossed her hands on her chest, her pissed off attitude, putting all men in the room in some sort of warning. They better be very careful of their next moves.

"Why are you defending her Kushina? Getting drunk in bar is irresponsible"

"I agree with you there, but she is young, and is entitled to act stupid some times. Everyone makes mistakes, that's how we learn!"

Minato wasn't convinced, and showed his disagreement with a low huff.

"Well, the do- ehmm Naruko wasn't doing so bad…she barely drank anything" Sasuke tried to pitch in, to do something he rarely ever did. Defend the damn Dobe.

Both Kushina and Minato glared at him, and he suddenly felt cold shivers run along his spine, and he swallowed down saliva, very slowly, trying to hide his fear. Uchihas never showed they were intimidated.

"Then why did Itachi take her back here instead than to her house, you know, where she lives?" Minato's eyes narrowed as they fixated on the poor boy. Damn he could be just as scary as his wife when he wished to be.

"Uhmmm I…well-"

"Sorry for the wait, Naruko is up and taking a shower, she should be here soon"

Thank God for his brother. Sasuke had never been happier to see Itachi than in that moment, and took advantage of his presence to slip out of the room, with the excuse to check on his own girlfriend.

"How is she doing?" Kushina asked with a hint of apprehension, ignoring her husband's words. Itachi smiled reassuringly.

"she is fine, nothing that a little aspirin can't fix"

Minato groaned hearing that,

"Fine, but I hope next time she won't indulge in such entertainments. And you, Itachi,

Itachi nodded, he agreed with him there, and understood his concerned behavior.

"Anyway I am going to have a little talk with her once she gets here. She has to be more responsible than this if she wants to go and live on her own, and the same goes for her brother"

The blond man leaned back on the sofa, hinting that he was going to wait for Naruko there.

"Yeah, you do that, me and Itachi will go and fix lunch, I heard from Mikoto that you have very good cooking skills"

Kushina got up, winding her arm around Itachi's and whisking him towards the kitchen, catching the perfect occasion to leave her grumpy husband behind.

"Minato is very good too, but I'm afraid he is not in the mood to prepare lunch, he tends to burn things when he's angry, Also, it might be best not to be in the same room with those two when they fight"

The red headed woman explained cheerfully.

Itachi raised a brow hearing that, and looked down at the woman with a raised eyebrow, she understood what he was asking and chuckled lightly, covering her mouth with her hand.

"I might be the scarier one of the two, but the one both of children really fear it's Minato, especially when he gets that serious look in his eyes"

The Uchiha glared at her, he wasn't very convinced about that.

"I always hear it's you they fear"

Kushina raised her head to give a better look at the Uchiha.

"Naruko told you?"

"I think she mentioned that between the lines, yeah"

If her mumbling ' my mother is going to kill me' while she was hunched over the toilet last night meant something.

Kushina laughed at that.

"They might fear me, but like I said, Minato is tough just as much as I am, you will see"

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko finally decided to walk out the room, all dressed nicely, and with everything in order, to show her parents she was doing well, and that they didn't need to worry about her.

She heard utter silence coming from the living room, and she wondered where everybody had gone to.

Silently she walked the short hallway, and gave a peeked at the living room from the door, trying to not be seen. She gasped lowly when she noticed her father, sitting on the sofa with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. She knew what was expecting her, and she tried to cautiously walk back, into the safety of Itachi's room.

"Naruko Come in here" her father's stern voice reached her, and she gulped down saliva. He must have heard her, she knew she shouldn't underestimate her father, he had the hearing of a bat when he wanted to, and of course it helped that the people in the kitchen had decided to be super quiet.

The blonde sighed, and with her head hanging low entered the room, avoiding her father's similar and attentive gaze.

"Sit, I need to talk to you"

She did as she was told, sitting on a love seat that was placed in front of the sofa, so she was looking straight at her father while he scolded her.

"Dad, I'm sorry if I misbehaved, I know getting drunk at Ichiraku's wasn't the smartest thing I could do but-"

She was nervous, so she started to blabber as she always did when she got into an agitated state. Minato knew this, and interrupted her before she could properly start, knowing there was no way in stopping her if that happened.

"Naruko. You are almost nineteen years old, I don't expect you to not have fun with your friends or go to parties and such things, but, I wish for you to be more responsible. You will go and live on your own next week, and start college soon. I need to know you will ne safe, and if this is what I have to expect from you, how can I stay calm knowing you might be somewhere doing who knows what? You were lucky Sasuke had enough sense to call Itachi, but what if you were alone, and Itachi couldn't be there to pick you up? What would you do then?" he was pretty upset, and she felt her cheeks burn from embarrassment.

"I…it won't happen again dad, you can trust me"

Minato sighed, his features relaxing a little bit, but she could tell he was still mad.

"I worry about you, Naruko. I always have. I worried on your first day of school, I worried when you started going out with all your friends on your own, I worried when you got together with Itachi, I will never stop worrying, even if I know you're tough, and can handle a lot of situations without anybody's help. I'm your father, it's my job I guess."

"I'm sorry dad. I promise it won't happen again." She apologized, and he raised his eyes to look at her, blue eyes clashed with hers and she felt the need to go and hug her father, and snuggled in his open waiting arms.

"To me, you will always be my little girl. You and Menma are the most precious things in the world for your mother and I" he paused for a second, to look straight into his daughter's eyes again, ruffling her hair a bit with a wide smile.

"But, I think, both of you need to be more responsible. That's why, starting tomorrow, you and your brother will be working along side myself at Namikaze inc."

Naruko froze and looked up at her father with a puzzled expression.

"Uh…what?"

Minato chuckled, he was surely amused by her expression, his only regret was that Kushina wasn't enjoying this moment with him. Maybe he would fix that later, when he was going to give the news to Menma.

"Well, both you and your brother are leaving home, so I think it's the right moment both of you start learning what it means to be independent. After all, if you're old enough to get drunk in a bar, I believe you are also old enough to pay your own bills, your mother and I both agree that is the best choice"

Naruko thought about it for a moment. Her father had surely planned it in such a way that she could handle her college schedule, so it didn't burden her further, and, it was true that she couldn't expect her parents to pay for her once she was out of the house.

"But dad..what position am I going to have?"

"Well, your mother keeps saying I need a secretary and I was thinking you could do that, maybe part time, so it won't effect your school work, that way, you will be working along side with me, and learn what it means to lead a business. One day, Namikaze will be in your and Menma's hands. I believe both of you will do a good job in the future"

She smiled at him, and he smiled back, the sweet moment interrupted by Kushina opening the door that separated the kitchen from the living room

"Finally! I thought you two were never going to stop talking! Come on lunch is ready"

Minato got up with a wide smile, following his wife.

"Ah good I was starving!"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko, Sakura and Ino were sitting on their new couch, in the middle of the living room of their new apartment.

Ino was wearing her basic house clothes, sitting on the carpet as she turned the channels of the television in a desperate search of something interesting to watch, Sakura was reading a magazine in silence and visibly nervous, while Naruko was greedily slurping down some ramen Itachi had dropped by earlier, when he had stopped by to see the place, since he was the only one of their boyfriend's that still had to see it, along with Sai that had brought Ino a bouquet of white lilies, that was now in a vase sitting on the kitchen table.

The pale blonde groaned, giving up her search and turned to her friends, bored of the annoying silence.

"So, Sai is coming by tomorrow to pick me up, he says he wants to take me to an art display. Apparently Shin, his brother managed to get us tickets, then after that we are going over and have dinner with him, apparently he found a girlfriend, what about you guys, have you got something planned? "

Ino casually asked the two, she was sure they had something to do, since tomorrow was Friday, and it would be the first they wouldn't be spending with the guys, since they were still in the process of moving and their house was a mess.

"Sasuke promised he will buy dinner and we will probably just spend the evening here, watching movies, I'm not in the mood to go out"

Sakura flipped the page, and Ino turned around to look at the pink haired girl with a smirk.

"You're still mad at him, aren't you?" she assumed, scooting closer to where she was sitting, resting an elbow on the pillow.

"Of course, he deserves it!" Sakura flipped another page in anger, almost ripping it out.

"You're mad at Sasuke? What for?" The other blonde asked, apparently she was the only one that hadn't noticed, not that they were surprised.

"He didn't think of buying me something for the new house! I got him something, so I was thinking he would do the same" Sakura blurted out, slapping the magazine on her legs, making Ino move backwards in fear she might be hit by the furious Haruno .

The blonde raised a brow, confused. She wasn't aware there was some sort of rule to follow in this cases.

"Itachi didn't get me anything either" she shrugged, not like she cared, she didn't expect him to buy her a gift for her house.

"Naruko, what are you holding?" Sakura glared at the confused blonde that stared at her almost finished bowl of Ramen.

"This? How can this be considered a gift! it's just food!"

"But it was a nice thought! If Sasuke had done it for me I would be happy, and think that he cares, but he didn't even think about that!"

"Seems like there's trouble in paradise" Ino whispered towards the blonde, but not so silently a tone that Sakura couldn't hear.

The pink haired girl scowled at the two idiots. Apparently they didn't get her point.

"There is no trouble you damn pig! Is it such a bad thing for me to wish that my boyfriend was a little more caring? Sai got you flowers, because he knows you like them, and Itachi got Naruko ramen, because it's the only thing she ever thinks about! Even Neji got Ten Ten something in that damn box she has to open yet!"

She crossed her arms on her chest her face in an angry grimace.

"Knowing the Teme he probably hasn't even realized you're mad at him"

It was known Sasuke was a little slow when it got to understanding human emotions. Especially Sakura.

"I know, that is why I am using the Uchiha silent treatment."

Sakura told them with a smug smile, although it wasn't working very much. Sasuke after sending two messages and not receiving an answer, had sent her a good night message assuming she was sleeping.

"It won't work, only the mighty Uchiha can use that technique. They have mastered it so perfectly that it doesn't effect them. If you ignore them, they will just ignore you back, and in the end, you will be the one apologizing for who knows what just to get them to speak to you again"

Naruto wasn't that dense when it came to Uchiha anger management, maybe because she had been friends with Sasuke for years, befire getting together with Itachi, and even he wasn't so different from his brother in that.

"You sure know your Uchiha" Ino commented with a grin.

"You mean you tried using it on Itachi?" Sakura said, with a glint of curiosity in her green eyes.

"It wasn't Itachi, but Sasuke, we had a fight because of my stupid cousin, Karin, and I tried ignoring him for a week. It was useless, by the time I was ready to talk to him again, he ignored me, and didn't talk to me again until I apologized to him, the jerk"

"Dammit"

"Yeah Forehead, ramen lover over there is probably right. Anyway, you still have to tell us what plans you have for tomorrow evening"

"So that's more interesting than my problems with Sasuke " The pink haired girl muttered, offended by her friend's disinterest.

"Please! You will forgive him as soon as you he looks at you with those pretty eyes of his" Ino huffed, rolling her eyes.

"So, on to more important things."

The pale blonde wiggled her eyebrows, in a way it reminded Naruko of that pervert of Kiba.

"Why are you so eager to know?"

The blonde blushed, hiding her head behind her knees, that were lifted up supporting the cup of ramen.

"Ah ha! So it's something good!" Ino exclaimed happily, raising her finger in the air making Naruko yelp and Sakura flinch.

"Pig! Get a hold on yourself!" The pink haired girl glared at her blonde friend, but Ino was totally focused on Naruko that was glaring back, looking uncomfortable.

"Ugh…I am just spending the week end with Itachi"

She muttered, hoping they wouldn't notice her flaming cheeks"

"The whole weekend with him? Just the two of you?"

Sakura asked a little jealous that Naruto would be spending two whole days with her own man. Maybe she could ask Sasuke to sleep over tomorrow night

"So, was it Itachi's idea? Maybe he has something exciting planned for the both of you"

The Namikaze's eyes widened and she sent Ino a confused look, her whole face red.

"W-what?"

"Don't act like an innocent virgin, we know you two are intimate" the blonde on the floor smirked wickedly, she just loved to tease her blonde friend.

"It doesn't mean I like talking about it!"

"So, has he mentioned something?"

Naruto understood that they weren't willing to drop the argument. Well, if you can't defeat them join them, so she gave in, pouting towards her friend that just smiled wider.

"He hasn't mentioned anything, so I guess he hasn't" Naruko answered with a thread of voice.

Sakura frowned at Ino, but the blondes smile grew wider as an idea came to her mind.

"Well, it's a Friday, so he will be working all afternoon, that would give you time to sneak into his apartment and surprise him. Maybe with a nice homemade meal"

Ino's mind was on a roll now, giving her plenty of ideas, she was an expert in dates, and was always very glad to help a friend in need.

"I work too now Ino!" Naruko reminded her, it had only been a few days since she had started, but still.

"Yes, but only in the morning! You have plenty of time to go home and get something ready for dinner! Believe me, men love these kind of surprises,

Naruko raised an eyebrow, seriously considering the idea. Despite Ino's crazy mess she did have a point. She did want to surprise Itachu since it was usually the Uchiha the one to do it. She felt it was her turn.

"You think?"

"Of course! And do you know what could be even better?"

Sakura sighed, and Naruko leaned a little bit closer to Ino, Worthless to say she was hooke now, Ino always did have great ideas.

."Sexy lingerie!

Naruko eyes widened again, and Sakura slapped her forehead, trying to hide her amusement with her other hand over her mouth.

"I don't own anything like that!" Naruko's face couldn't get any redder, her ashamed expression showed exactly how embarrassed she was.

If there was one thing she hated more than shopping, it was shopping for underwear and bras. Her mother knew that and usually she offered to buy them for her, so she had a pretty plain assortment of basic underwear, after all she would never ask her mother to buy her some more revealing or sexy underwear or even a thong. It just wasn't her style. It achieved had never said anything, but she actually wondered, damn Ino and her stupid ideas, if he would appreciate to see her with something a little more daring and seductive.

"You didn't own anything like that, at least up until now! Just wait!"

The Yamanaka got up and ran to her room, with a small squeal, and come back with a small fancy bag that didn't promise anything good.

"So, I was walking around the mall the other day with Ten Ten, and they opened this new shop… just open the bag! I can't wait to see your expression!"

Naruko's expression was of horror mixed with fear of what was exactly in that small bag. And she was right to be, when she pulled out a black lace bra that was practically see through and matching panties.

"Oh my…" Sakura was speechless, and Naruko's wanted to hide her face as she looked at the skimpy piece of clothing in her hands.

"so what do you think? I know you would never step foot in one of those stores, so I thought of getting you this! Consider it an early birthday gift! So do you like it?"

"I… I can't wear this!"

Ino huffed at the horrified look in the blonde 's face.

"if you want to make an impression on your Uchiha, trust me and wear that"

She winked and Naruto looked between her and the garments in her hands.

Maybe Ino was right. A plan was in the works now, and Naruto would make sure to make an impression indeed.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Naruko was just a little nervous as she walked inside the Uchiha building that morning, but she had finished what she had to do early, so she figured she might as well avoid to beat around the bush, and just go to her boyfriend's office and grab his house keys, so she could go there and get everything set. She had decided to surprise him, and in order to do so, she needed to get into his apartment to get the special dinner she had planned going. She had spent all last week learning some recipes from Hinata, who was a great cook, and she had decided to use her new skills to set up a special evening for Itachi.

She didn't bother to knock, since his secretary, the annoying, but, in the Uchiha's view efficient miss Terumi, informed her Itachi was inside working on something. Naruko was satisfied that the woman hadn't tried to block her like the first time she been there, even if it mostly was because he saw her often now, because of her job with her father.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, she grinned in Itachi's direction, who still hadn't noticed her, since he was busy typing something on his laptop with a very serious and concentrated expression.

"Miss Terumi? I would really need the report I am waiting from the public relations office, and once you have a minute would you call Mr Uchiha Shisui in here?"

He didn't even take his eyes away from the screen, and Naruko rolled her eyes and sneaked behind his chair, taking his glasses away from his eyes and kissing him on the cheek, she felt him froze under her touch, as she embraced him from behind, her blonde hair curtained around them, giving her away immediately.

"I'm not miss Terumi, but I would be glad to satisfy any other request, mr Uchiha" she whispered in his ear, before dipping down to leave a small kiss on his neck, that caused a small shiver to pass through the man's body as he recognized her voice, and he drew out a breath at her soft hands massaging his shoulders gently. He leaned back in his chair completely, raising his head to meet her baby blue eyes that were looking down at him.

"Any request hm? I have a few in mind, but, unfortunately miss Namikaze they cannot be satisfied here, although I think it wouldn't be the first time, am I correct?" he smirked as she blushed at the memory, her hands stopping their ministrations abruptly, her eyes widened as she snarled at him.

"it was one time Itachi" she muttered, her hands leaving his shoulders to cross on her chest with a pretty pout on her lips. Itachi didn't feel compelled to stop his teasing, enjoying her cute reactions to much.

"A very memorable one time"

She growled and he chuckled spinning his chair around so that he could get a hold of her form, and pull her against him. She had no other option than to sit on his lap, but she didn't complain, she couldn't, as he moved his upper body forward, pressing his lips against hers in a short kiss, long enough to savor the taste he loved so much, pulling back almost immediately, a small smirk as he studied her disgruntled expression.

"You perv" she muttered, meeting the Uchiha's black eyes that were staring back at her with amusement, her own lips quirking upwards, unable to stay mad at him for too long. Damn him, when he looked at her like that she could not resist.

"Hn, so what are you doing here?" he asked her, smiling at the cute little blush that colored her cheeks. He would never get tired to see it.

Her expression changed, as she was reminded that she was there for a reason.

"Oh, I wanted to ask you if you would give me the keys of your apartment. I don't have much to do, so I just figured I will wait for you at home"

"Ah…I see" he stiffened, and the hand that was quietly stroking her back stopped abruptly.

Naruko frowned at his reaction and wanted to ask him if there was something wrong, but he took the chance away, when he moved his arm closer to the desk, and opened the first drawer, pulling out a set of keys handing them to Naruko, who took them in question, she wasn't an idiot, and knew they weren't the ones he used, since his had the Uchiha fan as key chain, while the ones she was holding had a little orange fox. It could be a coincidence, but she knew he was aware of her obsession with the color orange and foxes, so, it was obvious he was subtly hinting at something.

She couldn't do much other than stare with wide blue eyes, obviously expecting him to dissipate her doubts.

"You can keep them, I had planned to give them to you this evening anyway"

Itachi answered her silent question with a smile, and she gave a long significant look at what was in her hands, she had suspected as much, and she felt stupid feeling some sort of emotion swell in her chest, and spread through her body.

"You…you made me a copy of your house keys?" she asked, feeling a lump in her throat that didn't let her speak more, if she had ever had any doubts about Itachi's intentions, this gesture would blow all of them away in one go.

"Is there something wrong? I figured you might not want to come over here and ask me all the time, and you know already, it is your house as much as it is mine." His voice was soft, and a tiny tender smile formed on his thin lips as he looked at her, waiting for her coming reaction to his words. She was still processing and the least he could do was to wait patiently for her to do so.

Naruko's eyes widened slightly and she swallowed some saliva, trying to remember how to breathe correctly. Damn Itachi and his charming ways of sweeping her off her feet, he didn't even need to do much, because she was sure, no one made a big deal for just a copy of keys, but she was dramatic in her particular way and Itachi knew it. He had predicted her throwing herself at him and crushing him in a tight, breath taking hug, so he had braced himself, and when she actually did launch herself in his arms, she found no obstacles, and he chuckled at her, as she showered his face with kisses.

With Naruko, nothing was ever normal, or boring, how could it be so, with her exuberance and bright personality? Itachi wouldn't have it any other way, so he basked in her affection.

"You are so going to give me a heart attack one of these days"

She commented once her display of affection was over. She was sitting on his lap her arms around his neck, while his held her still wrapped around her slim waist. He wanted to make sure she stayed there and held her tightly.

"That wasn't my intention, love, I wanted to surprise you. I think I succeeded" he grinned in satisfaction, proud that his plan had been successful , not that he had any doubts, he was well known to succeed in everything he did.

Naruko rolled her eyes at him with a small smirk on her lips.

"You are gloating so much, it's irritating" she laughed at his smug expression, and Itachi smirked back at her, his fingers now playing with some strands of her long blonde hair, his gaze fixed on her from under his long lashes.

"I was thinking, it's almost lunchtime, we could go and grab something together an-"

Naruko interrupted him with a long gasp that caught his curiosity.

"What?"

"Lunchtime? Are you playing with me?!" she jolted up from Itachi's lap staring wide eyed at the clock hung up on the wall that confirmed that it really was close to midday. As usual, Itachi was right.

Itachi, still a little baffled from her behavior stared intensely at her, mouth in a frown.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing, it's all perfect, I really just need to go now, or I will be late"

"Late for what? I thought you had nothing to do" the Uchiha stared at her in question, with his brow raised up just slightly.

Naruko felt like she was being cornered, and she simply grinned at hlthe Uchiha, hoping he won't get suspicious or some wrong impression so she kissed his cheek hoping he might forget her weird behavior.

"Trust me, it's a surprise" she tried to reassure him, but the Uchiha's brow was still raised and questioning her.

It had become some sort of staring contest, and she was getting nervous, already knowing that no one could defeat the man when it came down to that.

He finally let out a soft sigh, and smiled, a sign that he had decided to just do as she said, and she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. The silent stare duels always unnerved her more than she showed.

"Fine" he was obviously very curious, but she had learnt he was a patient man. And she was very grateful, she didn't want to spoil her surprise for him, since in the year they had been together, it had always been him to be the one to surprise her, just like the one time he had traveled to Kumo to see her in a competition, without telling her, and she only noticed when it was over, after her victory, when she spotted him standing in the audience next to an amused Kakashi. She had jumped him in front of everyone, making their relationship public more than it already was. She did not have regrets, but she really wanted to reciprocate.

This time, she wanted him to be the astonished one for once. And she would make sure to succeed, she wasn't one to back down in front of a challenge.

"I have to go now, see you later, all right?" she smiled brightly at his resigned expression, and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek again, but he moved his face at the last second, and it turned into a quick peck on the lips.

Naruko grinned, and he smirked back, standing up to walk her to the door.

"Just don't be late"she recommended him turning around to look at him, and he tilted his head a to the side with a knowing expression, and she understood he might have figured she was up to something, it's not like she was being subtle, she wasn't very good at it.

"I won't" he promised and she smiled at him, getting on her tiptoes, since he was taller than she was, to kiss him properly before leaving.

"See you at home then"

Itachi nodded, though he didn't say anything he really liked how that sounded. Hopefully one day, it would become a routine for them, but the raven knew, he had to wait for Naruko to be ready, since she was still very young.

The blonde, content, smiled and practically jolted off waving at the people in the office, almost knocking poor Shisui over, that happened to be in her way, as he tried to reach Itachi's office. He blinked in confusion, looking around trying to understand what had knocked him over with the force of a hurricane, only to realize it was the Namikaze, once he made out the blur of yellow hair and orange clothes, that was sprinting towards the floor's elevator.

Itachi laughed to himself, having assisted at the scene, and he heard Minato's complaints, coming from the near hallway, about his daughter not even stopping to say bye to him, but waving at him as she ran off, as if he was one of her friends. Little mattered to the blond man, that she had spent all morning working with him.

Trust Naruko to create chaos wherever she went.

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Dinner was almost ready, at least she hoped it was true that time. She had spent all afternoon preparing all the ingredients just like Hinata had taught her, only to end up burning almost everything once she put everything on the stove, so she had to start from scratch again, grateful that for once she had enough sense to buy more food than necessary just in case that occurred. She wasn't usually as provident, but she didn't want to risk it, so she had gone out of her way to make sure everything was just perfect, and she could say she was proud of the results.

She had made a meal with Itachi's favorite foods, from shio kombu onigiri that she knew he liked, miso soup, easy and quick for a beginner like her, as Hinata had suggested, grilled fish along with other side dishes and the dango she had picked up from the Uchiha's favorite store.

The food was ready, now the only thing she had to do, was clean up the kitchen and herself, since both were a mess. Her hair, that was tied in a messy bun at the top of her head, had mabaged to get rice stuck in them, and her clothes, a simple pair of shorts and a plain white tank top, weren't as immaculate as they had been when she had wore them, actually they were very far from it, glancing up at the clock, she let out a breath, it was still early, being only five thirty, she knew Itachi usually left work at that time, and it should take him at least another twenty minutes to get home, by the time he closed everything and got to his car, and traffic would slow him down a bit.

Letting out a content sigh, she opened the water and started to wash the dishes with fervor, trying to be quick, so caught up in her task, she didn't hear the house door opening, and the Uchiha's voice announcing he was home, so she yelped in surprise, when she felt a pair of arms snaking around her waist and someone, that could only be Itachi, leave a hot trail of kisses up and down her exposed neck, making shivers run down her back. The plate she was rinsing slipping through her fingers and crashing in the sink, the loud noise, shook out of her daze, and she turned around her blue eyes locking with the Uchiha's dark ones.

" What are you doing already home?" she asked him, looking a little disappointed, and it was his turn to look at her with an amused expression, and a playful smirk.

"Didn't you want me here?" his voice sounded innocent, but his expression was everything but.

Naruko rolled her eyes at that, her gaze switching to the floor, it was a mess, and she really didn't want Itachi to witness all the chaos she had created, even of he wasn't new to it.

"Of course I wanted you here, you idiot! I just didn't have time to prepare everything like I had planned, it was supposed to be a surprise"

She explained her cheeks heating up a little bit, as she thought about the part of the surprise she hadn't been able to get ready in time. Herself. She had planned with Ino every detail of her look, and now it had all gone down the drain, although she could only blame herself, if she hadn't burnt everything the first time, she wouldn't have been delayed.

Naruko though wasn't one to surrender at the first obstacle, and a bright idea came to her mind.

"Hey, why don't you relax and take a shower, while I clean up everything?" she smiled, running her still wet fingers through his loose bangs, pulling them back a little bit, clearing his pale face and leaving a quick peck at the tip of his nose.

"I am sure you are hot and sweaty in that suit"

She continued, trying to persuade him, so she could finish at least cleaning up, and then, while he dressed she could shower too, and out on the clothes she had chosen for the evening. Maybe it wasn't all lost.

"Hn, I guess you're right." He sighed and she nodded, hoping she could return to the dishes, so she could hurry up and do the rest. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her, Itachi had his own plans to accomplish. So je skid his jacket off, throwing it to a near chair, reserving the same treatment to his tie and jacket, under the watchful gaze of the blonde, that couldn't tear her eyes away from his pale chest even if she wanted to. He was so damn good looking, she thought it would be impossible for anyone to divert their eyes from him, sometimes it was hard to believe he was all hers.

Despite her lack of any coherent thoughts, she couldn't help but wonder why he was undressing right there in the kitchen in front of the sink, and her.

He smiled at her, once he was done with the upper part of his clothes, and gave her one long look, something catching his attention, as he raised an arm towards her hair, picking out a small grain of rice that had nested in her blonde locks, and gave a low chuckle, looking at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You look like you could need a shower too" he observed with a slight upturn of lips, and Naruko blinked, it was pretty obvious she needed it but she couldn't understand why he had felt the need to point it out. He was acting pretty weirdly and she wondered if the heat had gotten to him, after all it had been a pretty hot day so it was a plausible explanation to her. She didn't manage to speak her thoughts though, when he suddenly picked her up pulling her against his chest, bridal style, a mischievous smirk on his lips as he carried her out of the kitchen and towards the bathroom.

"Hey! What are you doing?" she shrieked, caught by surprise by his sudden action, although not making any real effort to stop him, curious to find out what he had planned in that devious mind of his.

"We could save water and take one together don't you think? "

He explained, as he closed the door behind them, kicking it back with his foot, the smirk still perfectly in place as he looked down at her with a raised eyebrow and devious, but oh so sexy smirk in place.

She gulped down some saliva, feeling her cheeks burn, she was sure she was as red as a tomato now, she raised a hand to feel her skin, and she wasn't surprised to find out how warm it was. He would be the death of her, of that much she was sure.

"Eh? But… but what about the dishes? And the kitchen! Someone has to clean them! And the food!"

Her protest was kind of weak, but still she didn't have the courage to meet the Uchiha's eyes

In the year they had been together they had never done anything like that together, well except for that time in Kumo, after she had won they had gone back to her hotel room, to freshen up before dinner, and, itstill embarrassed her to think about it, since she had been the one to start things, practically jumping the Uchiha as soon as they had got there, and being the sweaty mess she was, had dragged him with her in the shower, and he obviously hadn't found any reason to complain . She had to thank the adrenaline rush she had got from the fight that one time, but now, the situation was completely different, she found it difficult to muster up the courage, like she had that time. It didn't mean she didn't want to though, actually she was captivated by the idea.

His lips brushed one of her temples, before swooping down to leave a quick kiss on her pink lips, catching her by surprise.

"We can take care of them later. They are not going anywhere, plus I had a terrible day in the office and I think I have to blame you for it" he sighed, knowing he would sure rouse a reaction from the fiery girl, and he was right, when she wiggled in his arms a low growl rumbling in her chest as she did so.

"What do you mean my fault?" her eyes widened in disbelief, the nerve he had to blame her for something she couldn't control.

A low laugh rumbled in his chest, and she glared at him, folding her arms on her chest in annoyance.

"I couldn't stop thinking about all the things I would do to you once I came home"

The look he gave her spoke volumes, he didn't need to add anything else, or to explain any further, it was pretty obvious what he meant, and the annoyance she had felt just seconds earlier had completely vanished.

The sound of those words alone, made her mind go blank, her desire rushing through her veins with hot waves and she was sure she was shivering in his arms. Her eyes lidded and she could feel his heated gaze follow every movement she made. One of her hands raised to stroke his cheek, and she finally looked straight into his eyes, a somewhat challenging glare in her blue ones.

"Why don't you show me then?"

Her confidence had grown in the time they had spent together, and she wasn't ashamed anymore to make him understand that she was ready for him to take the next step, so she leaned forward, shifting her body so she could kiss him without craning her neck to much, her tongue immediately asking for access that Itachi granted happily, a low grunt leaving his throat as her tongue slipped over his to caress the soft muscle, before picking up the pace starting a battle for dominance, the kiss growing in passion, and soon both felt the need for more contact, and the Uchiha let go of her body, breaking the kiss for much needed air, the break lasting only a few seconds as Itachi dipped his head, to catch her lips again, as his hands moved to wonder around her body, touching the soft skin causing her to sigh in the kiss, giving Itachi the chance to take the lead, and she could only surrender to him, as she turned into mush in his arms, allowing him to push her with her back against the cold tiles, making her hiss at the feeling of the cold surface against her warm skin, breaking up their kiss, Itachi gave her a long heated stare, admiring her now slightly swollen lips.

Her blue eyes were closed, and she was breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath, as she held on to his shoulders, feeling the need to hold him close she finally reopened her eyes, watching his hand move across her cheek with his fingers , sliding down her neck to trace a long soft trail, up to her collarbones, following it with his lips shortly after, causing her body to be crossed by shivers again, her hands plunging in his black silky strands, as another muffled cry left her mouth and she leaned her head back on the tiles, her half lidded eyes were now on Itachi, who stopped his assault on her neck, meeting her clouded gaze and smiled, leave a small butterfly kiss on her jaw, before leaving her to go and turn the knobs on the shower, the hot water sprinkled out of the shower head, and soon, the room was filled with hot steam.

Itachi walked back to the blonde that was still leaning against the wall, a small content smile on her face as she peeked at him from under her black long lashes. He returned her smile, and slowly walked toward her, pulling her form against his firm body and closing the space between them with another searing kiss, pulling them still fully dressed, under the hot water, making her jump from the unexpected move, but she didn't care, nothing apart from Itachi did, in that moment, and he would make sure it stayed that way.

"I love you, Naruko" he whispered on her lips once another kiss ended, and she smiled, pulling a few strands of hair away from his face.

"I love you too… but now, finish what you started" her patience was wearing off, and she new he was enjoying it.

His smile turned into a smirk, and his fingers trailed the hem of her shirts, teasingly.

"Gladly"

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Two and a half years later…

It was early in the morning when she opened her eyes, and she stretched her arm, sighing in annoyance when she felt the empty spot next to her. Itachi must be up already, not that she was surprised, he was an early bird, and she was used to not waking up next to him.

She sat up, and rubbed her eyes, yawning softly as she stretched her arms up above her head, and got out of bed, stretching all her limbs, not caring that she was wearing only one of Itachi's oversized shirts, walked out of the room to look for him.

It was Saturday so he had to be home, and she smiled when she spotted him sitting at the dining table, with a cup of tea and looking at something on his laptop.

"Tachi, what are you doing up so early, do you know it's Saturday? You should be staying in bed to cuddle" she whined, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind and leaned her head on one of his shoulders, letting out a long muffled yawn, that made the Uchiha smile

"I was just checking something about that big project we are setting up with your father"

She hummed, aware of what he was talking about, he hadn't talked about anything else for weeks, and every she went there to spend the weekend, he was always concentrated on work. It's not like it bothered her that much, she knew it was a very important project for both their companies, but lately she couldn't not notice that he was acting differently. He had something in his mind bur just wouldn't tell her, and it was sort of driving her insane.

"Couldn't you do that later? I need my morning cuddles Tachi! I don't get them as often as I need"she mumbled, still a little clouded by sleep, and she felt him chuckle, and one of his hands shot up to ruffle her hair lovingly, making her hum softly.

"That could be changed, you know" his voice was low and it didn't hold the usual light tone he used when he was teasing her, he sounded serious, and that got the girl's attention, and she raised her head, tilting lightly to the side, trying to catch a peek at his face, but his eyes were focused on something on his computer.

"what do you mean?" She was very curious, now, he was looking at the calendar, they were in march, and soon her third year of business school would be nearing it's end.

Naruko was still sharing the apartment with her friends, but lately she was starting to want to spend more time with Itachi, and so sometimes she went over to his house on week days, even if he had to get up early in the morning and they barely saw each other, she liked to stay there, and Itachi liked her being there too. Lately he had been pensive and had made little allusions here and ther, but Naruko was her typical self and didn't pick up on them.

The Uchiha knew there was just one way to make her understand what he was trying to tell her, and that was to confront her directly.

"Naruko, I was thinking about something-"

His tone was still pretty serious and that put the blonde on alert, blinking she let go of Itachi, and he raised a brow at that.

"You want to break up with me?" her voice was shaking and the way she rushed the words out, made him stand up to meet her desperate haze, and from the look on her face, she was about to burst into tears.

He shook his head breathing out a soft chuckle as he pulled her in his arms, holding her there tightly.

"You are so silly, I just wanted to ask you to move in with me"

Naruko froze, blushing in embarrassment, she wasn't expecting for him to ask her that so early in the morning.

"Are you… are you sure you want me here?"

He sighed, his fingers running through her hair as he pulled her head forward, so he could kiss her forehead, before leaning his against it, letting out another soft sigh.

"I have wanted you here since I got this place, I was just waiting for you to be ready. I think you are now" he explained patiently and she beamed at his words, pulling him into one of her bone crushing hugs.

"So, what do you say?" he asked, reminding her that she had yet to answer him.

"Yes! Of course I will move in! I will go and pick up my stuff right now!"

In a bout of enthusiasm she rushed to the door getting ready to leave, forgetting how she was dressed, only to be stopped by the Uchiha, that pulled her back towards him.

"I would rather you put some clothes on, before you go out" he reminded her with an amused voice, overjoyed seeing her cute reaction.

"Right!"

The blonde slapped a hand on her forehead cursing at herself as she rushed into what was going to be their bedroom from that day on, to retrieve some comfortable clothes, and calm Sakura to give her the news, even if she was going to see her at the apartment, she just wanted to tell someone her news

Itachi could only stare with a small grin, before thinking about what Minato would say once he found out. That was going to be a troublesome ordeal, like Shikamaru, Naruko's best friend would say, but he wouldn't worry about it, not now that things were starting to fall into place. Now, he only had one last thing to do, he thought, as he gave a long pensive look at the small dark blue velvet box he had been keeping hidden in his pocket. there would be time for that, after all, he was in no hurry. He just had to wait for the perfectoccasion.

8888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Naruko rushed down the hall, the sound of fabric rustling behind her, and she pulled the dress up with a huff as she reached her destination, and knocked on the door impatiently, taking a step back, waiting for someonez anyone to open the stupid thing.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, when someone finally did, answer her, and Sasuke walked out and snorted when he spotted her.

"What are you doing here?" he glanced at her, a long pointed look, before breaking down in amused chuckles, Naruko looking down at him, unimpressed.

"what the hell are you wearing?"

She growled in annoyance. It hadn't been her choice obviously, and she hated the bright pink dress she was forced to wear, although it had a nice shape, with the heart shaped neckline and it looked good on her, if it wasn't for the stupid color, she could have probably tolerated it better.

Of course she couldn't say much, since she was one of Hana's bridesmaids, and she had been determined of having a pink themed wedding, so everyone was forced to wear something pink.

Her long hair was pinned up in messy bun, and her face had so much make up on, she could hardly move a muscle. She had undergone all that torture, and the first thing he had notice was her stupid dress? Damn Teme, she would make him pay one day.

The girl's nerves were already wearing thin, and she glared at the Uchiha with tired eyes, not forgetting she was there for a reason..

"Is Shisui in there?"

Sasuke raised a brow at the dumb question. It was pretty obvious he was, he was the groom, and that was his changing room. The noises coming from in there made it quite clear there was a party going on, she could hear Deidara's laughs clearly from there.

"Why do you need him?"

"I don't need him, Hana is hungry" she explained an arm resting on her hip, as she eyed Sasuke's confused expression.

"Oh"

Naruko rolled her eyes at him, she knew he became awkward when someone mentioned a pregnant woman.

"Forget it, I'll just go in there and ask Shisui myself." She moved past him, deciding it would be better to fetch the obliviously happy groom herself than waiting for Sasuke to process the information.

It was Shisui's and Hana's wedding day, finally, most would say. Especially the crazed Deidara, that had proclaimed himself the official wedding planner, and had patiently waited for them to finally set a date for their big day. At least for the first year, it was when they were reaching the end of the second, that the artist's nerves and everyone surrounding him, were starting to lose their sanity. Especially Sasori, that unfortunately for him, had to live with the insane blond man.

No one envied the poor bastard, actually they felt sorry for him.

Than, suddenly chaos had ensued, and Hana had found out she was pregnant, reaching the third year of engagement, setting the future bride in a panic. She had suddenly decided she didn't wanto to walk down the aisle with a seven or eight months pregnant belly, she wanted to wear the wedding dress of her dreams, and be able to dance at her wedding. Shisui had tried to pull out a word in, saying they could wait after the baby was born.

Obviously whatever he said didn't count, and Hana with the help of Deidara, had managed to set up a wedding in two months. Deidara's craziness and obviously the Uchiha last name had helped too. No one wanted to anger an Uchiha, they were powerful and the crazy blond artist threatened anyone who stood on their way, so, she had the almost perfect wedding she had always desired.

Naruko walked into the small room in the small chapel that had been chosen for the small private ceremony and that had been destined to the groom and his friends, while Hana and her bridesmaids were in the larger one in the back.

She rolled her eyes at the obvious mess, and greeted Deidara and Sasori dressed in similar black tuxedos and the artist was helping his red headed boyfriend with his bowtie.

"Looking good, guys" she complemented them letting out a small whistle of appreciation, that pleased the artist that grinned widely at her.

"Of course we do, I always said black is my color, and Sasori looks hot with anything, I mean look at him"

Sasori blushed a little bit, and rolled his eyes at his boyfriend.

"Yeah…. So do you guys know where I can find Shisui?"

Deidara gave a quick look around and shrugged his shoulders.

"He was here five minutes ago, I think he might have gone to take a walk, he was soooo tense" Deidara said, straightening Sasori's jacket.

"Because you kept nagging him about getting ready, I think he escaped from you, I would too if I could" the red head sarcastically retorted.

"We are on a clock Danna!" the blond growled in irritation, and Naruko stepped back a little, she didn't want to end in the middle of a fight between those two.

"I told you I hate that stupid nickname!"

"I like it, live with it!"

Naruko thought it wise to leave at that point, and find someone more reasonable, if she had luck, she would run into Itachi, even if he didn't look like he was anywhere in the room. It was likely he had escaped with Shisui.

She exited the room and just when she thought she had to go back into tje wolf's den, Hana, she spotted the groom and the best man, chilling in the hallway with a glass of wine. She had no idea where they had managed to recover it, since, due to her pregnant state, Hana had banished every form of alcohol from the wedding.

"Naruko? What are you doing here? Are you a spy? Don't tell Hana about the wine, she will kill me!" the poor groom to be begged her, and she felt a little pity for him.

She walked up to them with a sigh, standing next to Itachi who simply eyed her curiously smiling at her.

"I won't relax" she reassured him.

"I thought we weren't allowed to see each other till the ceremony" the long haired Uchiha said looking at Naruko, slipping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to himself.

He looked pretty damn fine in his tux, even the pink tie didn't take away from his appearance, it actually made him look even more attractive, she would have to make sure to stick close to him, she was pretty jealous, and Hana had a lot of single cousins.

"That's just for the bride and groom, Tachi." She explained with a slight blush, and Shisui chuckled at them, taking a sip of wine to hide his mocking grin.

"He's getting wedding vibes, believe me" he laughed, ignoring the pointed look Itachi eyed him with.

The blonde girl blinked, not really getting what he had meant.

"Uh? Aren't we all? We are at a wedding after all"

Itachi was grateful she didn't get what his cousin meant, he would ruin everything with that mouth of his.

"That's not what I meant- Oouch! What did you do that for?"

Itachi had stepped on Shisui's foot to make him shut up, and the older Uchiha was looking at him with a hurt expression that made the other sigh in exasperation.

Naruko raised a brow at that, but before she could say something, Itachi spoke.

"Did you need our help for something, since you came looking for us?" he distracted the girl, reminding her that she had gone to them for a very specific reason, and she gasped, as she remembered she didn't really have much time.

"Yeah right!"

She turned to the poor Shisui, who was still complaining about backstabbing cousins, who had no respect for his feet, and cleared her throat to get his attention back

"Hana is hungry, and she wants you to get her food" Naruko explained, and the poor groom raised an eyebrow at her.

"Now? How am I supposed to get her food? The ceremony starts in ten minutes" and he didn't want Deidara on his heels, reminding him he was late, but he didn't tell her that, the blonde was just hyper trying to make syre everything went exactly how he planned, but he knew he would not be getting any sympathy by the blonde girl. She was Itachi's girlfriend for a reason, and those two were a united front when it came to make fun of him.

The Namikaze rolled her eyes at him, ignoring his panicked expression

"We'll have it delivered. Hana just wants the money from you, she forgot her purse at home" not to add, the Inuzuka had expressly said she wanted Shisui to pay for it, since it was his damn fault she was always so hungry. No one had tried to contradict her, just following her orders.

"Oh… how much does she need?"

He pulled his wallet out from the inside pocket on his tuxedo, looking inside it, pulling some bills out.

"Oh… I have no idea, but she has had four different cravings in ten minutes, so… "

Naruko rested a finger on her chin as she tried to quantify just how much they would need to satisfy the Inuzuka's food cravings.

Itachi sighed, not envying his poor cousin in the slightest.

"Take the whole thing…. I think it's going to be a hell lot of food if that's the case. The woman eats like-"

"Believe me, it's better you not finish that sentence." Itachi interjected, knowing Naruko might rat him out. She wouldn't do it intentionally, but sometimes she forgot how to keep her mouth shut, and just blabbered freely. It usually wasn't a problem, but Hana was really hormonal, and any joke on the amount of food she ate were out of a question, especially on her wedding day, or it might end up as a boxe match.

"Fine, just tell her I will be seeing her at the altar" he smiled dreamily, trying to focus on more joyous thoughts.

Naruko smirked at Shisui, her hands holding onto the wallet tightly as she took her leave.

"Yeah, she said that she can't wait to get her hands on you"

Itachi rolled his eyes at Shisui's sudden yelp and him clutching his sleeve tightly with a look of terror in his eyes. Not that the younger Uchiha could blame him, Hana was freaking scary.

"Do you think she meant that in a nice way?" Shisui couldn't help but ask, and the younger could only sigh and give the other a resigned smile, after all, it was his job to support him, and make sure he would be at the altar, as he had promised.

"I am almost sure she did"

"That's what I feared"

The ceremony had turned out really nice, and at the end, Hana hadn't killed Shisui and had turned into a sobbing mess by the time he had read his vows, in front of a bunch of weeping women. Obviously, she would blame pregnancy hormones later, but Shisui's words had moved almost everyone to tears, even the Namikaze, that was still sniffling, along with Sakura who was the other bridesmaid standing next to her, once the ceremony was over.

Deidara's perfect planning, had made it so that the ceremony, flowed elegantly and without any interference into the reception in the ballroom of Madara's residence, that had offered his house as location and the couple had accepted happily. Hana had dreamed about having her wedding there since the first time she had visited the house, so she had been ecstatic when the older Uchiha had offered it to them, and Deidara had decorated the ballroom with exquisite taste, with beautiful flowers and decorations that made the place look like a winter wonderland, with a hint of pink, since Hana wanted the pink, and spread around the room there were some of the artist's statues of the couple, and the tables had beautiful centerpieces made by hand by Deidara, with pink and white flowers.

After taking a whole lot of pictures, everyone was ready to go and enjoy the rest of the evening at the reception, and halfway through dinner, the dj, Hidan, that had decided to offer his services for free to the couple as his wedding gift, had turned the music on, giving the start to the actual party.

Hana and Shisui had their first dance as a married couple, and again, the elderly women had cried tears of joy, and even Tsume Inuzuka, had a little of a shiny eye when Shisui asked her to dance with him as their first dance as mother and son in law.

After that, almost everyone had joined the dance floor, Kiba and his girlfriend Tamaki, Sakura and Ino, since Sasuke didn't seem to want to move from his spot at the table, but was enjoying watching his girlfriend have fun. Konan, who was also heavily pregnant was enjoying the music while a worried Yahiko looked after her, close by. Even Deidara had managed to drag poor Sasori, and both were dancing closely, they really were a beautiful couple.

A little secluded from the dance floor, Naruko and Itachi watched as the party went on.

"It turned out beautiful in the end didn't it?" Itachi smiled as he watched Shisui and Hana, twirling around in a slow romantic dance, one of Shisui's hands was resting on Hana's swollen belly and he had a blissful expression as he did so. Itachi didn't say it, but he felt a little pang of envy at the scene, but fastly pushed away, as he rested his chin on his girlfriend's blonde head.

"Yeah, I was scared Hana would really strangle Shisui at the altar"

She chuckled in memory of Hana breaking down as soon as she had caught a glimpse of the Uchiha as she walked down the aisle with her mother and brother.

"Hn"

The blonde leaned her head on his shoulder, relaxing, she felt tired, and her feet were hurting her.

Unfortunately though, it seemed like she couldn't have a minute of peace.

"Naruko! There you are! Here come it's almost time!" Sakura was smiling widely, and Naruko blinked as she met the scared expression of poor Hinata that looked like she had been dragged there too.

"Hana is going to throw her bouquet! One of us has to catch it!"

Ino explained as she pulled the girl at the middle of the hall, ans Naruko looked back at her boyfriend, that was not even trying to stop them.

"Traitor" she muttered under her breath, as she found herself at the middle of the hall, along with other crazed women who were all waiting for Hana to throw her flower and start the madness .

The blonde turned to her blushing almost sister in law, and whispered in her ear.

"Hey Hinata, do you think they will notice if we leave?"

Hinata's eyes widened and she started to fiddle with her fingers, and Naruto raised a brow at that weird behavior.

"Actually Naruko, we have to make sure you don't leave"

"Uh?" she gave a quick glance in Sakura's direction, just in time to see the pink haired girl trying to hush the poor black haired girl, which was enough to raise suspicion.

She didn't get a chance to ask for further explanation though, as Hana made her appearance, and she looked at the crowd of women, and Naruko wasn't sure if she just imagined it, but the brown haired bride seemed to grin and wink in her direction, before turning around, and at the count of three, threw her bouquet back.

The weirder thing was, that not one of her friends actually tried to catch it, and Ino that was strategically behind the Namikaze, pushed her forward, and Naruko, seeing the flowers land in her direction, almost automatically raised her arms, catching it easily, almost with no effort.

Confused and wide eyed she gave the flowers a long pointed look, before registering what it traditionally meant, and her whole face flushed red, and she searched for Itachi with her eyes, every sound around her came through muffled. She wasn't paying attention to anything or anyone, she couldn't.

Itachi was right in front of her, a bright smile marred his handsome face, his black eyes bright with emotion, that instantly brought her to tears for some reason.

"Looks like we're next" he spoke softly, taking one of her hands in his, and she blinked trying to free her eyes from the salt water that was flooding them, the crowd around them was holding their breath, no one spoke as they left the young couple their sweet moment, and Naruko just couldn't figure out what was really happening and who had orchestrated the whole thing, although it was pretty obvious.

She held the flowers tightly in her other hand trying to cover her tears stricken face, and Itachi finally pulled something out of his pocket, getting her attention back, and she gasped as she finally connected the dots, and a shaking hand covered her mouth in amazement

"I think it's long overdue. I have been wanting to do this for a very long time, but I waited for you to grow into the beautiful and independent woman you are today. I love you, and I will be by your side forever, if you let me"

He paused for a second, his eyes searching for hers, and he wiped her tears away with his thumb, and opened the small box, revealing a beautiful blue sapphire solitaire, that could only mean one thing.

"Marry me, Naruko" he whispered, only for her to hear, and closed the small gap between them with a gentle kiss.

"Itachi…." Her voice broke and she threw her arms around him. She couldn't believe this was happening to her, but she couldn't be happier. Itachi was everything she wanted, and she had never been more sure than anything else in her life.

"Yes! Yes I want to marry you!" she breathed before showering every part of his face with kisses, uncaring of the audience that had erupted in joy as she gave her answer, and when she finally let him go, he slipped the ring on her finger, kissing her hand before they both were claimed by their friends and family to congratulate them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note
> 
> I had to stop here or I would have never stopped.
> 
> I am very sorry for my delay, I know it's been two months since I updated, but I really had some issues that didn't let me much time for writing.
> 
> So, this is supposed to be theblast chapter, there's only a small epilogue that I should publish by next week.
> 
> I really have nothing more to give for this story, and I am really grateful for all of you who have followed me and loved this story with me, for all of you who still want to read some of my stories, I will pick up Road to Perdition again once the epilogue is out, and will dedicate myself to that.
> 
> I will properly thank all of you in the epilogue since my time is running out.
> 
> Thank you.
> 
> Darkshadows92.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Epilogue

Naruko rolled over with a groan, trying to find a more comfortable position, she could lay in, since her stomach was giving her hell, and she just couldn't get relief.

She had been feeling sick for a week now, and it was starting to be a real pain. She would throw up everything she dare to put in her mouth, and even the smell of certain foods made her sick, although it seemed to get better in the afternoon and the evening.

Itachi was worried, but she was stubborn and refused to go see a doctor, convinced that it was just a simple stomach flu and that she would get better in a few days, after all, Shisui's son had the same thing and it had lasted a few days for him, so there was nothing to worry about , or so she thought.

She frowned at the tv, guilty of not having anything interesting for her to watch, and she didn't really feel like watching a movie, she honestly didn't feel like doing much of anything, except complain about her misery. She was glad she had a very patient husband, who didn't mind her being a grump, and took care of her lovingly. She was really a lucky woman, had Itachi been anything like his younger brother, she was sure he would have moved out by now, or worse, they would be fighting every three seconds. Sasuke lacked the majority of Itachi's qualities, and sometimes she felt bad for Sakura, who had to put up with Sasuke's grumpy ass, she had even married him, six months ago.

The blonde rested her head on the pillow, and sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. She was waiting for Itachi to come home from work, so he would bring her the ramen she had asked him to get for her, and she felt her eyelids grow heavy, and she tried to fight the sudden feeling of tiredness that had caught her all of a sudden. She figured it must because of the lack of sleep she had had for the past week that was finally catching up with her, so there was nothing wrong, she decided, if she closed her eyes for a few minutes, just to make them rest a little bit.

Naruko hadn't realized she had fallen asleep, until she felt Itachi's fingers stroke her hair, gently waking her up, her hazy eyes opened and focused on his pale face. He was closer than what she expected, and she realized he was crouched in front of the sofa, his left elbow leaning on the cushion next to her covered body.

"Tachi?" she whispered, rubbing her eyes, realizing that the room was darker than it should be at that time of day, and she battled her eyelashes, realizing she must have slept for a long time, and not a couple minutes.

"Hey " he smiled, his fingers not stopping their soft ministration on her hair, in a soft soothing manner, making her relax under his touch.

"you were sleeping when I came back, and I didn't want to disturb you so I've let you sleep, but it's late now, so I figured you might be hungry and want to try and eat something" he explained, his hand slipping down to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand, and she leaned into his touch, like a kitten, comforted by his presence. He was such a calming presence, that she already felt better, now that he was there with her.

"What time is it?" she asked rubbing her eyes, wondering how long she had slept.

"Eight o clock" he answered, his eyes never leaving hers, and she could see he was thinking about something, but that was forgotten for a second, as she realized how late it was.

"What?!" she lifted herself up in a sitting position, the blanket slipped down on the carpet with the sudden movement, and Itachi scooted back a little bit, allowing her some space.

"Yes, you slept for three hours straight. You didn't even hear me, when I walked in" she hadn't even flinched, and he had been a little noisy when he had arrived home, carrying some things back from work and the food she had asked for, and he had not known she was resting. He was glad he hadn't waken her up though, she needed some sleep.

"Three hours?"

Itachi tilted his head a little bit, leaning on the sofa again, looking at her with a questioning glance.

"Is something wrong? How are you feeling? "

He was obviously worried, although he was trying his hardest to hide it.

"I feel much better now, but…. I'm a little surprised that I actually slept so much"

She let out a yawn, and stretched her arms forward, feeling the need to move, and get up from the damn couch.

"You look better too" he commented, finally giving in, and pinching her left cheek with a small chuckle at her protests.

"That hurt!"

"I couldn't resist, you are just too cute" he smirked and swooped down to peck her on the lips.

"Bastard!" she pouted giving the evil eye at her husband, and she finally took a good look at him, and was surprised to see he was in his home clothes, and that his hair was down and free from the usual pony tail still slightly damp. He must have taken a shower while she was passed out in their living room.

"I still can't understand how I actually slept so much" she mused, already forgetting the irritation towards her dark haired husband that was still looking at her with a delicate brow perfectly arched.

Naruko usually was hyperactive and denied being sick at all, even with a high temperature, and Itachi knew that very well, since he had gone through that experience two times already, not that he was eager to go through that again, actually he found this version of sick Naruko a lot more normal.

"That's what usually sick people do" he mocked her with a small grin, amused by her pouting face. It was adorable, and he was tempted to pinch her cheeks again, but decided against it. She would probably murder him this time.

"As if you didn't know me" she grumbled in annoyance, and he shrugged, not really knowing what to say to that, he stood and walked out towards the kitchen without saying a word.

"Uchiha! Don't you dare walk out while I'm talking!" of course, she overlooked the fact that either one of them was speaking when he left, and that she was really steaming away her irritation by yelling at him for no reason. She couldn't understand why she felt so nervous in the first place, and sje figured it might because she hadn't had a proper meal in days. After all her stomach always influenced her moods.

She didn't have much time to relish in that though, because Itachi walked in again with a tray with what looked like a huge bowl of ramen. Apparently he was aware of that fact as well.

"Here grumpy pants, this might soothe your nerves"

He teased, and hinted for her to sit on the sofa again, and she did, moving her legs out of the way so he could rest the tray on the small coffee table.

"Here, I heated it up, so be careful" he warned, before sitting next to her.

She eyed the fuming bowl in front of her with shiny eyes, her mouth watering at the beautiful sight, every trace of nervousness gone.

"I am starving, it's been a while since I've felt this hungry" she admitted with a big smile on her face, and Itachi felt a little reassured. She looked better than she had in a while, and he smiled.

Since the situation was under control, and he didn't have much to do anyway, he decided to turn on the tv to listen to the news, he was a busy man and he didn't have much time to read papers or go through the internet, so a part of his routine was exactly that, come home, eat and tune in with his favorite news broadcast with his beautiful wife sitting next to him.. Later she would probably insist on watching some movie together, and it would probably be his turn to pass out on the sofa.

"I think I will come back to work tomorrow, I am sure you miss my daily intrusions in your office"

Naruko spoke, and he turned to watch at her,she was all smiles now, and she was patiently waiting for the ramen to cool down, something he was grateful for. Knowing her, she would usually just stick a burning spoon in her mouth and than complain because she burnt her tongue.

"I miss our lunch break more than your intrusions, you always bother me in the most inappropriate times" he smirked, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"It's always an inappropriate time for you" she laughed.

"You know what I mean" he smirked, and she slapped his arm almost offended

"I know you always get weird ideas when I'm there"

Itachi smirked at that and glanced at her, wiggling his brows in a way tjat reminded her of Shisui.

"What can I say, a man has fantasies"

She rolled her eyes at that.

"Are you sure you're well enough to come? The office can manage without you another day, although your father might not"

Her father had always been a little crazy, but Naruko swore he was getting worse with age, especially after Menma had announced that he and Hinata were expecting their first child. Her brother was sure he had reached his midlife crisis.

"I'm doing much better, I couldn't even put anything in my stomach the other days." She answered, before putting a spoonful of ramen in her mouth, but unlike every other time, it didn't taste heavenly, but it left a terrible sour taste in her mouth, and she could barely swallow it, fighting against the instinctive need to spit it out.

"Is something wrong?" Itachi was now close to her, studying her disgusted face with a raised eyebrow.

"This…. It tastes awful! Where'd you get it?" she was fighting the terrible feeling in her stomach, and she couldn't even shot a glance at the abandoned bowl without feeling sick.

That sure put Itachi on alarm. Never had she referred to her favorite food as disgusting, not even when they had been on their honeymoon and she had insisted on ordering it in a small Izakaya near their hotel, that didn't look that hygienic.

"At Teuchi, like always" he answered still a little shook by her weird behavior, decided to give it a try, grabbing her spoon and tasting it, Naruko close by, watching him attentively.

"so?" she raised a brow as she waited for Itachi to give his judgment. Itachi put the spoon down, and gave Naruko a confused glance.

"It tastes the same as usual to me, there's nothing wrong with it"

"Oh my God! You finally did it!" The blond stood up growling at him, before clutching her stomach that was starting to feel sick again, making her insides feel as if they were twisting and churning, it was a very unpleasant feeling, but one she had grown accustomed to, in the past week.

Itachi raised a brow, unimpressed at his wife, who was the perfect picture of an enraged woman

"what are you talking about?"

"You got me to hate ramen! Are you satisfied now?"

She pointed a finger at him in accusation, and Itachi rolled his eyes, but didn't dare say anything to go against her, to avoid angering the beast any further, plus she didn't look well, her face was getting a little green, and he supposed she was going to rush to the bathroom any minute now.

"Don't give me that innocent look! I know you must have messed with my mind or something-"

She stopped, one of her hands shooting up to her mouth, and the other one still on her stomach, and she gave a frustrated grunt, as she left the room in a rush, the only last comprehensible sentence before the sounds of her throwing up covered any other sound was unmistakably "all Uchiha are bastards" apparently she had momentarily forgot she was one of them too now, having took Itachi's last name after their marriage.

Itachi sighed, he couldn't possibly find any reasonable way to answer her, and it was a first, since it was usually the other way around. He walked towards the bathroom, and kneeled close to his wive's body, that was hunched over the toilet, and massaged her back, soothing her a little bit.

"I feel terrible" she mumbled, raising her head a little bit, and Itachi handed her a glass of water he had picked up from the kitchen. She accepted it gratefully, wanting to get rid of that terrible taste.

"Just rest love, you will feel better tomorrow" he tried to comfort her, drawing circles on her back.

"ugh…."

For once, Itachi had been terribly wrong, it was a first, and something she would use against him, if it wasn't for the fact that she had been rushed to the hospital because her father had found her passed out in her office. She had been lucky she hadn't hit her head, but her butt was hurting terribly, so she assumed it had taken the most of the fall, even though she couldn't figure out exactly how it had happened. One second she was fine, well she felt like if a train had ran her over, but better than the whole week that had just passed. She was reading some new contracts sitting at her desk, when she had felt thirsty and had decided to get up to grab a glass of water from the dispenser. She never reached it, her head had felt a little funny, like it was spinning, and then she must have lost her senses, she didn't remember what had actually happened, only that when she came back to her senses half of the office had been there kneeled close to her, and Deidara, who she remembered had a lunch date with her, screaming "She's alive!" when she opened her eyes, almost scaring her, with his overly exaggerated reactions.

Trust the artist to act so dramatic in such a situation and give half the people in the building a heart attack.

An hour and a half later, Naruko was lying in a hospital bed, with an IV stuck on her right arm, and a pout on her pretty face. She was bored out of her mind, and, at least five people had yelled at her since her arrival to the E. R. and now she had a bit of a headache.

Sakura and Tsunade had been the first ones, they had been waiting for her, and Sakura had immediately yelled at her for her carelessness, and Tsunade had tagged along, getting a little physical, especially while sticking the IV to her arm. It could have been worse, but Naruko was secretly glad when a nurse came to take some of her blood to run some tests.

It had been just the start and Naruko was aware of that. Especially when her mother had stormed in a couple of minutes after she had been taken to a room, followed by a heavily pregnant Hinata.

The blonde had felt sorry for her sister in law, at least she had looked genuinely worried and concerned for her, while her mother had scolded her for being so stubborn, for a couple off minutes, and then had started to cry, hugging her with all her strength, telling her how scary it had been for her to get the call from Tsunade. It was something Naruko could understand, and had hugged her mother back with a soft smile.

Now, the blonde was there in her he room, a cell phone ringing every two seconds, it really looked like the news had reached everybody , except Itachi that was still not answering his phone, which was maddening to Naruko. He was the only one she really wanted by her side in that moment, even if she dismissed the whole ordeal as stupid and unnecessary, she had to admit she was a little worried and having her husband by her side would make her feel a hell lot better.

She was glad that her family was there though.

Mikoto was knitting something as she sat near the window, speaking softly with Kushina, who was praising the other woman for her work, Minato was reading a magazine and Hinata had gone out to call Menma, who apparently was also on his way to the hospital and Deidara was ranting at his phone for what sounded like the hundredth time. All in all, everything was quiet, and Naruko contemplated if she could take a nap, it must be the boredom, but her eyelids felt heavy with sleep, exactly like the day before.

"I have the results!" Sakura walked in with a happy smile on her face looking more relaxed than before, as she closed the door behind her, and turned to the small crowd on the room, who was waiting for news.

The doctor took a small breath before saying.

"I can tell you Naruko is fine, nothing to worry about. From the tests it came out she was lacking some vitamins which could explain the fainting"

She started as she looked at the folder. Kushina was the first one to let out a small breath, relieved.

"So I can go home now?" Naruko was more than ready and eager to leave that place.

Sakura looked at her with an annoyed expression.

"No. I still need to speak with you privately"

Naruko huffed, and lied with her back on the bed.

"I wouldn't lie mrs Namikaze, but it's a private matter and I need to talk to her alone"

"Of course we'll go and get some tea at the cafeteria" Minato pacified, grabbing his wife by the shoulders edging her out with ease, trying to soothe her nerves with soft words whispered in her ear. It worked, since the woman followed the others without further protests.

"oh, Deidara? Itachi is on his way, so don't call him again ok? His phone is off so it would be useless anyway" Sakura grinned at the blond man, ignoring his shocked expression.

"How did you reach him? I have been trying for the last hour!" he sounded outraged. If Itachi had answered her and not to him on purpose he would skin him as soon as he saw him.

The pink haired woman didn't even bother to look at him, but her eyee were shining in satisfaction.

"Simple, I called Sasuke"

Deidara's jaw hanged open at that.

"Oh. That easy?"

why didn't he think of calling Sasori, or Kisame? They were both with Itachi at the meeting and they could've informed him immediately.

"out now, we need privacy!" she shoed the poor artist out, and closed the door behind her with a huff. She then straightened her white overall, and coughed to clear her throat, turning to the annoyed blonde.

"So… am I dying or something?" Naruko couldn't help but feel like Sakura was taking her time on purpose, but her eyes widened when her friend's face lit up, her green eyes were trying to contain her emotion, and her lips quirked up in a big wholehearted smile.

"Oh Ruko!" she breathed out and she ran towards her hugging her tightly.

"oh my God! I'm dying aren't I? I knew it, I should have known that since I threw up the ramen! I mean, I threw up the ramen! That never happened! And, oh my God! What is Itachi going to do by himself? I don't want him to get married to some other woman…. I mean I know I'll be dead, but I'll still be jealous-"

Sakura laughed at her friend's nervous rambling, the blonde eyeing her with rage.

"What are you laughing about! I am dying here!"

"Ruko! You're not dying you silly head! And Itachi won't be alone, actually is quite the contrary"

Naruko blinked at that, not understanding what Sakura was hinting at.

"uh?"

Sakura sighed, and opened the folder she had been jealousy holding onto the whole time, that had Naruko's blood tests results in it.

"Here, look" she handed the piece of paper to the blonde that still looked confused.

"What am I looking at?" she asked looking at the pink haired woman that rolled her green eyes at her, and walked up closer, pointing at something on the paper.

"See that? That value indicates that there's a high concentration of hormones in your blood, and that usually means one thing"

"And what is that?"

Naruko really was confused now, was it a bad thing or a good thing? Why didn't her friend just tell her what was wrong with her, and stop the torture.

"I have cancer?"

"No silly!"

"but… then"

"You're pregnant!" Sakura blurted out, a big wide smile as she jumped in excitement, letting out light overjoyed giggles, as she hugged the shocked blonde.

"I'm…. I'm what?" it still hadn't clicked in Naruko's mind, it sounded so foreign to her ears, and kind of unreal, as if she was dreaming. She had never even considered being pregnant, the thought had never crossed her mind

"you're going to have a baby!" Sakura giggled some more, she had battled with Tsunade to be the one to give Naruko the news, and it was worth it seeing the girl's shocked expression.

"How is it possible?"

"You really want me to explain that to you?"

Naruko's head was spinning, and her hands immediately shot up to her still flat belly in total disbelief, her eyes wondering on her own stomach, that was slowly going to grow to accommodate her and Itachi's child

She was pregnant, and soon she and Itachi would have a baby. Their baby.

Their child. And it clicked, suddenly and so naturally she felt she already loved the small being inside of her. And she gasped, her big blue eyes wide filled with tears.

"Oh my God! I'm going to have a baby!" She practically shouted, so many emotions went through her, and she didn't know if she was laughing or crying anymore, but she couldn't recall ever being so happy, maybe only her wedding day could compare to that moment.

Sakura laughed and cried with her, and Naruko could only think that she wished Itachi was there in that moment, she couldn't wait to tell him.

"Lay down a second now, I want to show you something."

Naruko, who was still feeling giddy, did as she was told, and watched curiously as she turned on a machine that she hadn't noticed till that moment, and she didn't protest when Sakura rolled up her shirt, leaving her stomach bare.

"This will feel a little cold" Sakura warned as she spread some blue gel on Naruko's stomach. The blonde winced but she was too enraptured in what the pink haired woman was doing with the machine to care.

"So, let's see the little guy, or lady, we still don't know what it is" The pink haired woman smiled as she gently rested a scan on the blonde's stomach, her eyes staring at the white and black screen as she looked for something, moving the hand with the scan up and down Naruko's lower belly.

"You…you mean… we are looking at my baby?" Naruko couldn't really see much, it was just lines and weird stuff she couldn't distinguish, but Sakura knew what she was doing, and smiled as she found what she was looking for.

"Aaand here it is!" Sakura smiled, pointing to a little bundle of not really defined form on the screen, but Naruko already felt her chest explode from the love she was feeling. If only Itachi was there, this moment would be perfect.

"You mean…that…. That's my baby! It's so small" She didn't know when she had exactly started crying, or if she had even stopped since learning the news, but she was fascinated by the little shape, that was her baby, on the screen.

"Look! It moved" she already knew her heart had been captured already from the moment she had found out, but somehow she felt the love she felt. For her unborn son or daughter, grow even more.

A soft knock on the door interrupted the moment, and Sakura smiled at Naruko.

"So, do you want to surprise Itachi like this, or do you want to tell him another way?" she asked, her eyes still on the screen, with Naruko, who was still smiling softly, who had no doubt she wanted Itachi there with her to look at the life they had created together.

"Let him in"

Sakura nodded putting the scan in place momentarily, walking to the door, opening it to let a very worried and wild looking Itachi, almost stumble in the room. He looked like he had ran all the way there, his hair was in disarray, with loose strands around his slightly red and sweaty face, his long coat was glistening with small drops of water and his breath was still a little ragged as he tried to steady it, so he could speak without interruptions.

"Itachi, are you ok?" Naruko couldn't help asking from where she was lying, meeting the dark eyes that were now focused on her, his brow raising as he studied her position and she could clearly see the question that was crossing his mind, especially since her stomach was still exposed and the screen on, although it wasn't showing anything at the moment.

"I should ask you that…Sasuke told me they rushed you here….my phone was low on battery and I didn't have the patience to look for another phone…. I came directly here…" he pushed some strands out of his face, he looked so worried, the blonde actually felt bad for making him and everyone else worry so much.

"I'm sorry Tachi….last thing I wanted was for you to get such a scare" she could only imagine how she would feel if she would get the news her husband had been rushed to the E.R. She wouldn't probably react even worse than him.

"The only thing that matters to me is that you're ok" he answered walking up to her and taking her hand in his, kissing her forehead, and Naruko could only beam at him, feeling impatient to share the good news.

"I am fine, it was nothing… well, actually that's not quite true" she chuckled lightly, feeling bad for her husband's confused expression, as he tried to make out what was actually going on. Taking pity on the poor Uchiha, she decided to get the cat out of the bag, and she looked at Sakura that had moved in the background to let the couple talk, and she understood immediately.

"Don't make that face…. Sakura, could you?"

"Of course" she walked up to where Naruko was, and smiled at Itachi, who didn't answer too concentrated on trying to figure out what was happening.

"Okay, here it is" Sakura pointed at the small figure, she was trying hard to keep a straight expression, and she couldn't help looking at her brother in kaw's face as he watched the screen with both eyebrows up and mouth open in a mix of confusion and shock.

"Naruko?" he swallowed down some saliva, feeling his throat dry, he didn't know how long he had kept his mouth hanging open, but he felt his heart beat rate become unsteady, and he didn't know what else to say, he wasn't exactly sure he could utter another word, or if his voice would come out at all.

Sakura took a picture putting the screen on pause as she took the scan away from the blonde's belly, handing her a tissue to clean up the excess gel.

"I'm going to find the others, see you in a little bit, okay?"

She knew the couple needed their privacy in such a intimate moment , so she quietly took her leave, with a last glance at the couple.

Naruko nodded and sat up, her eyes never leaving the screen as she fixed her shirt. Itachi was obviously waiting for answers, and that was the thing she needed to concentrate on.

"Well…. It seems like I didn't have a stomach flu in the end." She started, taking Itachi's hand in hers, her fingers stroking his palm gently.

"I mean, the ramen accident should have been a warning, but I really didn't think…" she fumble with her words not knowing how to continue her sentence, Itachi's patience really was welcomed in that moment, even if she was sure, it was only apparent, because he surely wanted to know what she was trying to go, even if he probably had already guessed much of it.

"Trust your child to be the one to hate ramen from the womb… it seems like these next months are going to be a little trying for me…"

"my…child?"

Naruko chuckled, usually she was the slow one who couldn't catch a hint, it was amusing to see Itachi in that position. He was so smart and ahead of everyone usually, the change made her laugh, and she pointed at the screen, that was still showing the picture Sakura had taken of their unborn child.

"Well…that there, is our baby. I'm pregnant" she said softly, letting out a small nervous laugh, but her eyes were focused on Itachi's face, who was now staring at the screen with big wide eyes, and she swore she saw some tears glisten in them, but they stayed where they were, and Itachi gulped down saliva again.

"A baby…. " He repeated, his voice so low it sounded more like a whisper, his hands covered his mouth, as he tried to steady his erratic heartbeat.

"Yes! We are going to have a baby!" She repeated, standing up from the bed, and pulling him against her, hugging him tightly.

Itachi smiled, a smile so big and brimmed of emotions that brought tears to her eyes. This moment, this was exactly what she had wished it would be.

"I don't think I've ever been happier in my life, and it's all thanks to you, Naruko"

"MR. McGREGOR hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds"

Itachi stopped reading, when he heard his son's soft and steady breathing, that usually meant he was fast asleep.

He got up from the side of the bed, trying to not make noise, and put the book back on the bedside table, turning on the small night light, before turning around to kiss the little black head if hair, and tucking the child in for the night, smiling at the small peaceful face.

He never thought he could love another being as much as he loved his son, it was something he had understood only when he had held him for the first time right after he was born.

It had been one hell of a journey. Naruko had been tired and cursing loudly, and he wasn't sure if his hand was going too function any more after that day, but as soon as he heard the first loud cries and he saw the small bundle trying to calm himself against Naruko's chest, he knew that it didn't matter at all, nothing else did besides his small family, and he would do anything to protect them and care for them the best way he could.

He slipped out the room with one last glance, cautious of Kyuuby resting against the door ,the huge reddish dog liked to sleep in front of Isamu's door like the guard dog he was.

"Good boy"

He patted the dog's head and walked to the living room, to see if Naruko was still awake, smiling when he saw her frowning face as she tried to get comfortable on the sofa the blanket doing a poor job of covering her huge nine months pregnant belly.

He hadn't been shocked when Naruko had given him the news of her second pregnancy, only a year and a half after Isamu's birth. He was able to read the early signs when she started to feel sick exactly like the first time, and before he knew it, one evening, after putting their son to bed, she had handed him a small box with a positive test resting in it.

It hadn't been as dramatic as the first time, but it had ignited the same feelings in him, and even though he had suspected it, he had been once again, at a loss for words. This time luckily Naruko had been more prepared, having known beforehand, and had been the one to drag Itachi to their room to celebrate.

"Hey, aren't you sleeping yet?" he asked sitting next to her, allowing her to position her back against his chest as she tried to find a better position, one that possibly would give her back some relief.

"Ugh…. I wish, your daughter though seems to have other plans for her mother tonight"

The affection in her voice made him smile and his hands slipped on her enlarged stomach, feeling the soft movements of his daughter.

"She is quite agitated tonight" Naruko winced as a strong kick hurt her on the side, Itachi felt it too and massaged the spot trying to soothe her.

"Your due date is close, it won't take much longer" he hoped so at least. Their son had been in no hurry to come to the world, and Naruko was almost two weeks overdue when he decided he was ready.

"I wish, I really can't wait to be able to enjoy a bowl of ramen again" she sighed, her mouth watering at the thought.

Itachi let out a soft laugh at that. He still remembered after she delivered Isamu that was the first thing she had asked to a surprised nurse. Luckily Kushina having had the same experience during her own pregnancy had provided her daughter with the desired dish,

"Your kids just had to be like you, after all" she smiled fondly, rubbing her stomach where the baby had kicked again.

"I think Isamu took after you more" he might look like Itachi, with his black hair, pale skin and dark eyes, but his personality was all Naruko. He was a happy and hyper kid, and very intelligent for a two year old, a trait the blonde was sure he had taken from his father. And exactly like his mother, he liked to annoy his uncles Sasuke and Menma . Something that made Itachi quite proud.

"Mommy?"

Both their heads turned and they spotted the small child next to the door of the living room, Kyuuby standing faithfully by his side in protection.

His eyes were still clouded from sleep, and he was holding the fox plush his paternal grand parents had given to him as a gift for Christmas.

"Hey sweetie, what are you doing up?" Naruko opened her arms and the small child walked directly into them, or at least he tried, he bumped on her belly, but he didn't care, as he rested his small head on her shoulder, grabbing a fistful of her long blonde hair, the other hand still holding the plush tightly.

Naruko was getting uncomfortable in that position after a while, so she made him sit between her and Itachi, ruffling his small head, as Itachi covered him with a blanket to keep him warm, the child snuggling close to his father.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

The child nodded, it was clear something had scared him.

"Do you want daddy to take you back to your room?"

"No… I want to stay with mommy and daddy"

Itachi nodded, and made him lean his head in his lap, stroking his hair softly, trying to calm him down.

Reassured by his parent's presence he finally closed his eyes, succumbing to sleep, his father following shortly after.

Naruko was the only one that couldn't sleep, her stomach was still bothering her, and she got up to get another blanket to cover Itachi, who was snoring softly, probably because of the weird position his head was forced.

A look of devotion passed on her face as she watched the two sleep closely together, the resemblance between father and son was not only physical, but some of Isamu's moves were very similar to Itachi, even now she could see that, as they slept in an almost identical position, with their hands on their stomach, almost composed, completely contrary to her, who liked to splay all her limbs around.

She would have loved to take a picture at the duo, but an incredible sharp pain cut through her stomach, taking her breath away for a few seconds, and she had to sit back on one of the chairs.

She eyed the phone, and was glad she didn't have to look around for it as usual, she had been having pain for all evening, but know they were increasing and becoming more regular, and she knew she was in early labor.

It was only a half an hour later, and Itachi was shook out of his sleep, and he opened confused eyes, realizing he and Isamu had fallen asleep on the couch.

"What…"he raised his gaze catching Naruko's, who was standing, rubbing her stomach as she spoke quietly on the phone, Kyuuby standing close to her, and occasionally she patted his head as she spoke with whoever she was on the phone with.

That caught his curiosity and he stood careful not to wake Isamu, and only then noticed Naruko's hospital bag. His eyes widened at that and he looked back at his wife in question, who nodded at him, and she groaned softly, clutching at her stomach.

So it was time. And he didn't have to panic, not this time. After all he had already been through it once. And survived.

He glanced at the clock on the wall, it was midnight, and he hurried to put his shoes on, forgetting for a minute where he had left them.

"Tachi? Your mother is coming over to stay with Isamu, I called granny Tsunade and she's waiting for us at the hospital, you just need to get the car"

Itachi nodded, and he rushed to the door, stopped by Naruko calling him back.

"The keys! Itachi you need the keys!"

"I knew that" he answered as he walked back to get them from her offering hand, and she rolled her eyes at that, she knew he was internally panicking and trying not to show. As if it was him that had to push a baby out of his body.

He took the bag and rushed out the door, and Naruko sat on the sofa again, waiting for her husband to get back, trying to breathe through another painful contraction.

The door opened again, shortly after, and Naruko was glad to see Itachi was not alone, and that Mikoto and Fugaku we're right behind him. Fugaku had the same lost expression as his son's, she couldn't think about them though,

for the pain was getting worse, and she paled as she felt liquid run down her thighs reaching her ankles.

"I think my waters just broke!"

Itachi felt like fainting, but luckily he pulled through, and after six hours of labor, their daughter came to the world screaming out of her lungs and kicking her little legs as the little fighter he knew was in her, and Itachi just felt his heart expand a little bit more.

"So what name have you decided for this little beauty?" Tsunade was scribbling something on some documents, and Shizune was still clearing the area.

Naruko was lying on her hospital bed, her eyes not leaving her daughter's who was staring back at her mother with her big and grey eyes, probably getting accustomed to the world around her.

Itachi was sitting next to them looking as if he had been the one to give birth, but his eyes were on the baby, a look of adoration in his eyes as he stared at his newborn daughter.

"We had thought of naming her Kimiko" Naruko's gazd mirrored Itachi's as they both looked at each other and then at their daughter.

"Fitting name"

Tsunade agreed, and she nodded at the couple with a smile, her eyes softening as she looked at the family, who was lacking a member in that moment, but Isamu would join them soon, as she was sure he would come with the rest of the family to visit his little sister

.Smiling and without adding anything else she walked out, she would visit again at a more proper time. All three of them looked like they really needed some sleep right now.

Naruko was cuddling the small baby, her mind still trying to realize that she had contributed in creating the small baby, and she smiled as her daughter's greyish eyes settled on her as if she was the whole world.

"Hey Kimi"her fingers ghosted over a puffy and rosy cheek, it was so soft, as rose petals.

"Are you ready to meet your big brother? He has been waiting for you for a while" she whispered, her eyes leaving her daughter, meeting the curious gaze of her son, who was staring at them, as he held his father's hand, like the good boy he was.

It brought tears to her eyes, Isamu looked so big compared to Kimiko, and she had missed him in the small time she had been away from home.

"Come here Amu, there's someone who wants to meet you!"

She gestured for him to walk closer, and he let go of Itachi's hand running to Naruko, getting on his tiptoes to try and give a better look, but he couldn't really see much, so his father picked him up, and his big eyes studied the small bundle in the blonde's arms with a frown.

"See? That's your baby sister" Itachi and Naruko shared a quick glance as they both looked at their children in silent adoration.

"She ugly!" he screeched with a frown, and his parents both laughed at that, both aware that sibling rivalry was something they were going to have to deal with in the future.

Author's note:

And that's a wrap!

So, what to say, when I started this story, I really didn't have much if a plot in mind, it was supposed to be a two-shot, and then it was supposed to have just a few chapters, I think it's pretty clear in the beginning that I didn't really know where I was going with this, and I still think that it will need to be fixed in the future, but nonetheless, I finished it, and if I did so, it was because of all of you who have supported and loved this story from the beginning to end, to all of you who have put it in your alert list as favorited or followed, and to all of you who have reviewed, even if just once, every single one of them has helped me, and supported me, and I can't say enough jow grateful I am for all the love and affection I have received.

Thank you, to all of you!

Ps. For who follows Road to Perdition, the chapter will probably be out by the end of next week, I will do my best to have it out by then.

Thank you!

Darkshadows92

Epilogue

Naruko rolled over with a groan, trying to find a more comfortable position, she could lay in, since her stomach was giving her hell, and she just couldn't get relief.

She had been feeling sick for a week now, and it was starting to be a real pain. She would throw up everything she dare to put in her mouth, and even the smell of certain foods made her sick, although it seemed to get better in the afternoon and the evening.

Itachi was worried, but she was stubborn and refused to go see a doctor, convinced that it was just a simple stomach flu and that she would get better in a few days, after all, Shisui's son had the same thing and it had lasted a few days for him, so there was nothing to worry about , or so she thought.

She frowned at the tv, guilty of not having anything interesting for her to watch, and she didn't really feel like watching a movie, she honestly didn't feel like doing much of anything, except complain about her misery. She was glad she had a very patient husband, who didn't mind her being a grump, and took care of her lovingly. She was really a lucky woman, had Itachi been anything like his younger brother, she was sure he would have moved out by now, or worse, they would be fighting every three seconds. Sasuke lacked the majority of Itachi's qualities, and sometimes she felt bad for Sakura, who had to put up with Sasuke's grumpy ass, she had even married him, six months ago.

The blonde rested her head on the pillow, and sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. She was waiting for Itachi to come home from work, so he would bring her the ramen she had asked him to get for her, and she felt her eyelids grow heavy, and she tried to fight the sudden feeling of tiredness that had caught her all of a sudden. She figured it must because of the lack of sleep she had had for the past week that was finally catching up with her, so there was nothing wrong, she decided, if she closed her eyes for a few minutes, just to make them rest a little bit.

Naruko hadn't realized she had fallen asleep, until she felt Itachi's fingers stroke her hair, gently waking her up, her hazy eyes opened and focused on his pale face. He was closer than what she expected, and she realized he was crouched in front of the sofa, his left elbow leaning on the cushion next to her covered body.

"Tachi?" she whispered, rubbing her eyes, realizing that the room was darker than it should be at that time of day, and she battled her eyelashes, realizing she must have slept for a long time, and not a couple minutes.

"Hey " he smiled, his fingers not stopping their soft ministration on her hair, in a soft soothing manner, making her relax under his touch.

"you were sleeping when I came back, and I didn't want to disturb you so I've let you sleep, but it's late now, so I figured you might be hungry and want to try and eat something" he explained, his hand slipping down to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand, and she leaned into his touch, like a kitten, comforted by his presence. He was such a calming presence, that she already felt better, now that he was there with her.

"What time is it?" she asked rubbing her eyes, wondering how long she had slept.

"Eight o clock" he answered, his eyes never leaving hers, and she could see he was thinking about something, but that was forgotten for a second, as she realized how late it was.

"What?!" she lifted herself up in a sitting position, the blanket slipped down on the carpet with the sudden movement, and Itachi scooted back a little bit, allowing her some space.

"Yes, you slept for three hours straight. You didn't even hear me, when I walked in" she hadn't even flinched, and he had been a little noisy when he had arrived home, carrying some things back from work and the food she had asked for, and he had not known she was resting. He was glad he hadn't waken her up though, she needed some sleep.

"Three hours?"

Itachi tilted his head a little bit, leaning on the sofa again, looking at her with a questioning glance.

"Is something wrong? How are you feeling? "

He was obviously worried, although he was trying his hardest to hide it.

"I feel much better now, but…. I'm a little surprised that I actually slept so much"

She let out a yawn, and stretched her arms forward, feeling the need to move, and get up from the damn couch.

"You look better too" he commented, finally giving in, and pinching her left cheek with a small chuckle at her protests.

"That hurt!"

"I couldn't resist, you are just too cute" he smirked and swooped down to peck her on the lips.

"Bastard!" she pouted giving the evil eye at her husband, and she finally took a good look at him, and was surprised to see he was in his home clothes, and that his hair was down and free from the usual pony tail still slightly damp. He must have taken a shower while she was passed out in their living room.

"I still can't understand how I actually slept so much" she mused, already forgetting the irritation towards her dark haired husband that was still looking at her with a delicate brow perfectly arched.

Naruko usually was hyperactive and denied being sick at all, even with a high temperature, and Itachi knew that very well, since he had gone through that experience two times already, not that he was eager to go through that again, actually he found this version of sick Naruko a lot more normal.

"That's what usually sick people do" he mocked her with a small grin, amused by her pouting face. It was adorable, and he was tempted to pinch her cheeks again, but decided against it. She would probably murder him this time.

"As if you didn't know me" she grumbled in annoyance, and he shrugged, not really knowing what to say to that, he stood and walked out towards the kitchen without saying a word.

"Uchiha! Don't you dare walk out while I'm talking!" of course, she overlooked the fact that either one of them was speaking when he left, and that she was really steaming away her irritation by yelling at him for no reason. She couldn't understand why she felt so nervous in the first place, and sje figured it might because she hadn't had a proper meal in days. After all her stomach always influenced her moods.

She didn't have much time to relish in that though, because Itachi walked in again with a tray with what looked like a huge bowl of ramen. Apparently he was aware of that fact as well.

"Here grumpy pants, this might soothe your nerves"

He teased, and hinted for her to sit on the sofa again, and she did, moving her legs out of the way so he could rest the tray on the small coffee table.

"Here, I heated it up, so be careful" he warned, before sitting next to her.

She eyed the fuming bowl in front of her with shiny eyes, her mouth watering at the beautiful sight, every trace of nervousness gone.

"I am starving, it's been a while since I've felt this hungry" she admitted with a big smile on her face, and Itachi felt a little reassured. She looked better than she had in a while, and he smiled.

Since the situation was under control, and he didn't have much to do anyway, he decided to turn on the tv to listen to the news, he was a busy man and he didn't have much time to read papers or go through the internet, so a part of his routine was exactly that, come home, eat and tune in with his favorite news broadcast with his beautiful wife sitting next to him.. Later she would probably insist on watching some movie together, and it would probably be his turn to pass out on the sofa.

"I think I will come back to work tomorrow, I am sure you miss my daily intrusions in your office"

Naruko spoke, and he turned to watch at her,she was all smiles now, and she was patiently waiting for the ramen to cool down, something he was grateful for. Knowing her, she would usually just stick a burning spoon in her mouth and than complain because she burnt her tongue.

"I miss our lunch break more than your intrusions, you always bother me in the most inappropriate times" he smirked, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"It's always an inappropriate time for you" she laughed.

"You know what I mean" he smirked, and she slapped his arm almost offended

"I know you always get weird ideas when I'm there"

Itachi smirked at that and glanced at her, wiggling his brows in a way tjat reminded her of Shisui.

"What can I say, a man has fantasies"

She rolled her eyes at that.

"Are you sure you're well enough to come? The office can manage without you another day, although your father might not"

Her father had always been a little crazy, but Naruko swore he was getting worse with age, especially after Menma had announced that he and Hinata were expecting their first child. Her brother was sure he had reached his midlife crisis.

"I'm doing much better, I couldn't even put anything in my stomach the other days." She answered, before putting a spoonful of ramen in her mouth, but unlike every other time, it didn't taste heavenly, but it left a terrible sour taste in her mouth, and she could barely swallow it, fighting against the instinctive need to spit it out.

"Is something wrong?" Itachi was now close to her, studying her disgusted face with a raised eyebrow.

"This…. It tastes awful! Where'd you get it?" she was fighting the terrible feeling in her stomach, and she couldn't even shot a glance at the abandoned bowl without feeling sick.

That sure put Itachi on alarm. Never had she referred to her favorite food as disgusting, not even when they had been on their honeymoon and she had insisted on ordering it in a small Izakaya near their hotel, that didn't look that hygienic.

"At Teuchi, like always" he answered still a little shook by her weird behavior, decided to give it a try, grabbing her spoon and tasting it, Naruko close by, watching him attentively.

"so?" she raised a brow as she waited for Itachi to give his judgment. Itachi put the spoon down, and gave Naruko a confused glance.

"It tastes the same as usual to me, there's nothing wrong with it"

"Oh my God! You finally did it!" The blond stood up growling at him, before clutching her stomach that was starting to feel sick again, making her insides feel as if they were twisting and churning, it was a very unpleasant feeling, but one she had grown accustomed to, in the past week.

Itachi raised a brow, unimpressed at his wife, who was the perfect picture of an enraged woman

"what are you talking about?"

"You got me to hate ramen! Are you satisfied now?"

She pointed a finger at him in accusation, and Itachi rolled his eyes, but didn't dare say anything to go against her, to avoid angering the beast any further, plus she didn't look well, her face was getting a little green, and he supposed she was going to rush to the bathroom any minute now.

"Don't give me that innocent look! I know you must have messed with my mind or something-"

She stopped, one of her hands shooting up to her mouth, and the other one still on her stomach, and she gave a frustrated grunt, as she left the room in a rush, the only last comprehensible sentence before the sounds of her throwing up covered any other sound was unmistakably "all Uchiha are bastards" apparently she had momentarily forgot she was one of them too now, having took Itachi's last name after their marriage.

Itachi sighed, he couldn't possibly find any reasonable way to answer her, and it was a first, since it was usually the other way around. He walked towards the bathroom, and kneeled close to his wive's body, that was hunched over the toilet, and massaged her back, soothing her a little bit.

"I feel terrible" she mumbled, raising her head a little bit, and Itachi handed her a glass of water he had picked up from the kitchen. She accepted it gratefully, wanting to get rid of that terrible taste.

"Just rest love, you will feel better tomorrow" he tried to comfort her, drawing circles on her back.

"ugh…."

For once, Itachi had been terribly wrong, it was a first, and something she would use against him, if it wasn't for the fact that she had been rushed to the hospital because her father had found her passed out in her office. She had been lucky she hadn't hit her head, but her butt was hurting terribly, so she assumed it had taken the most of the fall, even though she couldn't figure out exactly how it had happened. One second she was fine, well she felt like if a train had ran her over, but better than the whole week that had just passed. She was reading some new contracts sitting at her desk, when she had felt thirsty and had decided to get up to grab a glass of water from the dispenser. She never reached it, her head had felt a little funny, like it was spinning, and then she must have lost her senses, she didn't remember what had actually happened, only that when she came back to her senses half of the office had been there kneeled close to her, and Deidara, who she remembered had a lunch date with her, screaming "She's alive!" when she opened her eyes, almost scaring her, with his overly exaggerated reactions.

Trust the artist to act so dramatic in such a situation and give half the people in the building a heart attack.

An hour and a half later, Naruko was lying in a hospital bed, with an IV stuck on her right arm, and a pout on her pretty face. She was bored out of her mind, and, at least five people had yelled at her since her arrival to the E. R. and now she had a bit of a headache.

Sakura and Tsunade had been the first ones, they had been waiting for her, and Sakura had immediately yelled at her for her carelessness, and Tsunade had tagged along, getting a little physical, especially while sticking the IV to her arm. It could have been worse, but Naruko was secretly glad when a nurse came to take some of her blood to run some tests.

It had been just the start and Naruko was aware of that. Especially when her mother had stormed in a couple of minutes after she had been taken to a room, followed by a heavily pregnant Hinata.

The blonde had felt sorry for her sister in law, at least she had looked genuinely worried and concerned for her, while her mother had scolded her for being so stubborn, for a couple off minutes, and then had started to cry, hugging her with all her strength, telling her how scary it had been for her to get the call from Tsunade. It was something Naruko could understand, and had hugged her mother back with a soft smile.

Now, the blonde was there in her he room, a cell phone ringing every two seconds, it really looked like the news had reached everybody , except Itachi that was still not answering his phone, which was maddening to Naruko. He was the only one she really wanted by her side in that moment, even if she dismissed the whole ordeal as stupid and unnecessary, she had to admit she was a little worried and having her husband by her side would make her feel a hell lot better.

She was glad that her family was there though.

Mikoto was knitting something as she sat near the window, speaking softly with Kushina, who was praising the other woman for her work, Minato was reading a magazine and Hinata had gone out to call Menma, who apparently was also on his way to the hospital and Deidara was ranting at his phone for what sounded like the hundredth time. All in all, everything was quiet, and Naruko contemplated if she could take a nap, it must be the boredom, but her eyelids felt heavy with sleep, exactly like the day before.

"I have the results!" Sakura walked in with a happy smile on her face looking more relaxed than before, as she closed the door behind her, and turned to the small crowd on the room, who was waiting for news.

The doctor took a small breath before saying.

"I can tell you Naruko is fine, nothing to worry about. From the tests it came out she was lacking some vitamins which could explain the fainting"

She started as she looked at the folder. Kushina was the first one to let out a small breath, relieved.

"So I can go home now?" Naruko was more than ready and eager to leave that place.

Sakura looked at her with an annoyed expression.

"No. I still need to speak with you privately"

Naruko huffed, and lied with her back on the bed.

"I wouldn't lie mrs Namikaze, but it's a private matter and I need to talk to her alone"

"Of course we'll go and get some tea at the cafeteria" Minato pacified, grabbing his wife by the shoulders edging her out with ease, trying to soothe her nerves with soft words whispered in her ear. It worked, since the woman followed the others without further protests.

"oh, Deidara? Itachi is on his way, so don't call him again ok? His phone is off so it would be useless anyway" Sakura grinned at the blond man, ignoring his shocked expression.

"How did you reach him? I have been trying for the last hour!" he sounded outraged. If Itachi had answered her and not to him on purpose he would skin him as soon as he saw him.

The pink haired woman didn't even bother to look at him, but her eyee were shining in satisfaction.

"Simple, I called Sasuke"

Deidara's jaw hanged open at that.

"Oh. That easy?"

why didn't he think of calling Sasori, or Kisame? They were both with Itachi at the meeting and they could've informed him immediately.

"out now, we need privacy!" she shoed the poor artist out, and closed the door behind her with a huff. She then straightened her white overall, and coughed to clear her throat, turning to the annoyed blonde.

"So… am I dying or something?" Naruko couldn't help but feel like Sakura was taking her time on purpose, but her eyes widened when her friend's face lit up, her green eyes were trying to contain her emotion, and her lips quirked up in a big wholehearted smile.

"Oh Ruko!" she breathed out and she ran towards her hugging her tightly.

"oh my God! I'm dying aren't I? I knew it, I should have known that since I threw up the ramen! I mean, I threw up the ramen! That never happened! And, oh my God! What is Itachi going to do by himself? I don't want him to get married to some other woman…. I mean I know I'll be dead, but I'll still be jealous-"

Sakura laughed at her friend's nervous rambling, the blonde eyeing her with rage.

"What are you laughing about! I am dying here!"

"Ruko! You're not dying you silly head! And Itachi won't be alone, actually is quite the contrary"

Naruko blinked at that, not understanding what Sakura was hinting at.

"uh?"

Sakura sighed, and opened the folder she had been jealousy holding onto the whole time, that had Naruko's blood tests results in it.

"Here, look" she handed the piece of paper to the blonde that still looked confused.

"What am I looking at?" she asked looking at the pink haired woman that rolled her green eyes at her, and walked up closer, pointing at something on the paper.

"See that? That value indicates that there's a high concentration of hormones in your blood, and that usually means one thing"

"And what is that?"

Naruko really was confused now, was it a bad thing or a good thing? Why didn't her friend just tell her what was wrong with her, and stop the torture.

"I have cancer?"

"No silly!"

"but… then"

"You're pregnant!" Sakura blurted out, a big wide smile as she jumped in excitement, letting out light overjoyed giggles, as she hugged the shocked blonde.

"I'm…. I'm what?" it still hadn't clicked in Naruko's mind, it sounded so foreign to her ears, and kind of unreal, as if she was dreaming. She had never even considered being pregnant, the thought had never crossed her mind

"you're going to have a baby!" Sakura giggled some more, she had battled with Tsunade to be the one to give Naruko the news, and it was worth it seeing the girl's shocked expression.

"How is it possible?"

"You really want me to explain that to you?"

Naruko's head was spinning, and her hands immediately shot up to her still flat belly in total disbelief, her eyes wondering on her own stomach, that was slowly going to grow to accommodate her and Itachi's child

She was pregnant, and soon she and Itachi would have a baby. Their baby.

Their child. And it clicked, suddenly and so naturally she felt she already loved the small being inside of her. And she gasped, her big blue eyes wide filled with tears.

"Oh my God! I'm going to have a baby!" She practically shouted, so many emotions went through her, and she didn't know if she was laughing or crying anymore, but she couldn't recall ever being so happy, maybe only her wedding day could compare to that moment.

Sakura laughed and cried with her, and Naruko could only think that she wished Itachi was there in that moment, she couldn't wait to tell him.

"Lay down a second now, I want to show you something."

Naruko, who was still feeling giddy, did as she was told, and watched curiously as she turned on a machine that she hadn't noticed till that moment, and she didn't protest when Sakura rolled up her shirt, leaving her stomach bare.

"This will feel a little cold" Sakura warned as she spread some blue gel on Naruko's stomach. The blonde winced but she was too enraptured in what the pink haired woman was doing with the machine to care.

"So, let's see the little guy, or lady, we still don't know what it is" The pink haired woman smiled as she gently rested a scan on the blonde's stomach, her eyes staring at the white and black screen as she looked for something, moving the hand with the scan up and down Naruko's lower belly.

"You…you mean… we are looking at my baby?" Naruko couldn't really see much, it was just lines and weird stuff she couldn't distinguish, but Sakura knew what she was doing, and smiled as she found what she was looking for.

"Aaand here it is!" Sakura smiled, pointing to a little bundle of not really defined form on the screen, but Naruko already felt her chest explode from the love she was feeling. If only Itachi was there, this moment would be perfect.

"You mean…that…. That's my baby! It's so small" She didn't know when she had exactly started crying, or if she had even stopped since learning the news, but she was fascinated by the little shape, that was her baby, on the screen.

"Look! It moved" she already knew her heart had been captured already from the moment she had found out, but somehow she felt the love she felt. For her unborn son or daughter, grow even more.

A soft knock on the door interrupted the moment, and Sakura smiled at Naruko.

"So, do you want to surprise Itachi like this, or do you want to tell him another way?" she asked, her eyes still on the screen, with Naruko, who was still smiling softly, who had no doubt she wanted Itachi there with her to look at the life they had created together.

"Let him in"

Sakura nodded putting the scan in place momentarily, walking to the door, opening it to let a very worried and wild looking Itachi, almost stumble in the room. He looked like he had ran all the way there, his hair was in disarray, with loose strands around his slightly red and sweaty face, his long coat was glistening with small drops of water and his breath was still a little ragged as he tried to steady it, so he could speak without interruptions.

"Itachi, are you ok?" Naruko couldn't help asking from where she was lying, meeting the dark eyes that were now focused on her, his brow raising as he studied her position and she could clearly see the question that was crossing his mind, especially since her stomach was still exposed and the screen on, although it wasn't showing anything at the moment.

"I should ask you that…Sasuke told me they rushed you here….my phone was low on battery and I didn't have the patience to look for another phone…. I came directly here…" he pushed some strands out of his face, he looked so worried, the blonde actually felt bad for making him and everyone else worry so much.

"I'm sorry Tachi….last thing I wanted was for you to get such a scare" she could only imagine how she would feel if she would get the news her husband had been rushed to the E.R. She wouldn't probably react even worse than him.

"The only thing that matters to me is that you're ok" he answered walking up to her and taking her hand in his, kissing her forehead, and Naruko could only beam at him, feeling impatient to share the good news.

"I am fine, it was nothing… well, actually that's not quite true" she chuckled lightly, feeling bad for her husband's confused expression, as he tried to make out what was actually going on. Taking pity on the poor Uchiha, she decided to get the cat out of the bag, and she looked at Sakura that had moved in the background to let the couple talk, and she understood immediately.

"Don't make that face…. Sakura, could you?"

"Of course" she walked up to where Naruko was, and smiled at Itachi, who didn't answer too concentrated on trying to figure out what was happening.

"Okay, here it is" Sakura pointed at the small figure, she was trying hard to keep a straight expression, and she couldn't help looking at her brother in kaw's face as he watched the screen with both eyebrows up and mouth open in a mix of confusion and shock.

"Naruko?" he swallowed down some saliva, feeling his throat dry, he didn't know how long he had kept his mouth hanging open, but he felt his heart beat rate become unsteady, and he didn't know what else to say, he wasn't exactly sure he could utter another word, or if his voice would come out at all.

Sakura took a picture putting the screen on pause as she took the scan away from the blonde's belly, handing her a tissue to clean up the excess gel.

"I'm going to find the others, see you in a little bit, okay?"

She knew the couple needed their privacy in such a intimate moment , so she quietly took her leave, with a last glance at the couple.

Naruko nodded and sat up, her eyes never leaving the screen as she fixed her shirt. Itachi was obviously waiting for answers, and that was the thing she needed to concentrate on.

"Well…. It seems like I didn't have a stomach flu in the end." She started, taking Itachi's hand in hers, her fingers stroking his palm gently.

"I mean, the ramen accident should have been a warning, but I really didn't think…" she fumble with her words not knowing how to continue her sentence, Itachi's patience really was welcomed in that moment, even if she was sure, it was only apparent, because he surely wanted to know what she was trying to go, even if he probably had already guessed much of it.

"Trust your child to be the one to hate ramen from the womb… it seems like these next months are going to be a little trying for me…"

"my…child?"

Naruko chuckled, usually she was the slow one who couldn't catch a hint, it was amusing to see Itachi in that position. He was so smart and ahead of everyone usually, the change made her laugh, and she pointed at the screen, that was still showing the picture Sakura had taken of their unborn child.

"Well…that there, is our baby. I'm pregnant" she said softly, letting out a small nervous laugh, but her eyes were focused on Itachi's face, who was now staring at the screen with big wide eyes, and she swore she saw some tears glisten in them, but they stayed where they were, and Itachi gulped down saliva again.

"A baby…. " He repeated, his voice so low it sounded more like a whisper, his hands covered his mouth, as he tried to steady his erratic heartbeat.

"Yes! We are going to have a baby!" She repeated, standing up from the bed, and pulling him against her, hugging him tightly.

Itachi smiled, a smile so big and brimmed of emotions that brought tears to her eyes. This moment, this was exactly what she had wished it would be.

"I don't think I've ever been happier in my life, and it's all thanks to you, Naruko"

"MR. McGREGOR hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-crow to frighten the blackbirds"

Itachi stopped reading, when he heard his son's soft and steady breathing, that usually meant he was fast asleep.

He got up from the side of the bed, trying to not make noise, and put the book back on the bedside table, turning on the small night light, before turning around to kiss the little black head if hair, and tucking the child in for the night, smiling at the small peaceful face.

He never thought he could love another being as much as he loved his son, it was something he had understood only when he had held him for the first time right after he was born.

It had been one hell of a journey. Naruko had been tired and cursing loudly, and he wasn't sure if his hand was going too function any more after that day, but as soon as he heard the first loud cries and he saw the small bundle trying to calm himself against Naruko's chest, he knew that it didn't matter at all, nothing else did besides his small family, and he would do anything to protect them and care for them the best way he could.

He slipped out the room with one last glance, cautious of Kyuuby resting against the door ,the huge reddish dog liked to sleep in front of Isamu's door like the guard dog he was.

"Good boy"

He patted the dog's head and walked to the living room, to see if Naruko was still awake, smiling when he saw her frowning face as she tried to get comfortable on the sofa the blanket doing a poor job of covering her huge nine months pregnant belly.

He hadn't been shocked when Naruko had given him the news of her second pregnancy, only a year and a half after Isamu's birth. He was able to read the early signs when she started to feel sick exactly like the first time, and before he knew it, one evening, after putting their son to bed, she had handed him a small box with a positive test resting in it.

It hadn't been as dramatic as the first time, but it had ignited the same feelings in him, and even though he had suspected it, he had been once again, at a loss for words. This time luckily Naruko had been more prepared, having known beforehand, and had been the one to drag Itachi to their room to celebrate.

"Hey, aren't you sleeping yet?" he asked sitting next to her, allowing her to position her back against his chest as she tried to find a better position, one that possibly would give her back some relief.

"Ugh…. I wish, your daughter though seems to have other plans for her mother tonight"

The affection in her voice made him smile and his hands slipped on her enlarged stomach, feeling the soft movements of his daughter.

"She is quite agitated tonight" Naruko winced as a strong kick hurt her on the side, Itachi felt it too and massaged the spot trying to soothe her.

"Your due date is close, it won't take much longer" he hoped so at least. Their son had been in no hurry to come to the world, and Naruko was almost two weeks overdue when he decided he was ready.

"I wish, I really can't wait to be able to enjoy a bowl of ramen again" she sighed, her mouth watering at the thought.

Itachi let out a soft laugh at that. He still remembered after she delivered Isamu that was the first thing she had asked to a surprised nurse. Luckily Kushina having had the same experience during her own pregnancy had provided her daughter with the desired dish,

"Your kids just had to be like you, after all" she smiled fondly, rubbing her stomach where the baby had kicked again.

"I think Isamu took after you more" he might look like Itachi, with his black hair, pale skin and dark eyes, but his personality was all Naruko. He was a happy and hyper kid, and very intelligent for a two year old, a trait the blonde was sure he had taken from his father. And exactly like his mother, he liked to annoy his uncles Sasuke and Menma . Something that made Itachi quite proud.

"Mommy?"

Both their heads turned and they spotted the small child next to the door of the living room, Kyuuby standing faithfully by his side in protection.

His eyes were still clouded from sleep, and he was holding the fox plush his paternal grand parents had given to him as a gift for Christmas.

"Hey sweetie, what are you doing up?" Naruko opened her arms and the small child walked directly into them, or at least he tried, he bumped on her belly, but he didn't care, as he rested his small head on her shoulder, grabbing a fistful of her long blonde hair, the other hand still holding the plush tightly.

Naruko was getting uncomfortable in that position after a while, so she made him sit between her and Itachi, ruffling his small head, as Itachi covered him with a blanket to keep him warm, the child snuggling close to his father.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

The child nodded, it was clear something had scared him.

"Do you want daddy to take you back to your room?"

"No… I want to stay with mommy and daddy"

Itachi nodded, and made him lean his head in his lap, stroking his hair softly, trying to calm him down.

Reassured by his parent's presence he finally closed his eyes, succumbing to sleep, his father following shortly after.

Naruko was the only one that couldn't sleep, her stomach was still bothering her, and she got up to get another blanket to cover Itachi, who was snoring softly, probably because of the weird position his head was forced.

A look of devotion passed on her face as she watched the two sleep closely together, the resemblance between father and son was not only physical, but some of Isamu's moves were very similar to Itachi, even now she could see that, as they slept in an almost identical position, with their hands on their stomach, almost composed, completely contrary to her, who liked to splay all her limbs around.

She would have loved to take a picture at the duo, but an incredible sharp pain cut through her stomach, taking her breath away for a few seconds, and she had to sit back on one of the chairs.

She eyed the phone, and was glad she didn't have to look around for it as usual, she had been having pain for all evening, but know they were increasing and becoming more regular, and she knew she was in early labor.

It was only a half an hour later, and Itachi was shook out of his sleep, and he opened confused eyes, realizing he and Isamu had fallen asleep on the couch.

"What…"he raised his gaze catching Naruko's, who was standing, rubbing her stomach as she spoke quietly on the phone, Kyuuby standing close to her, and occasionally she patted his head as she spoke with whoever she was on the phone with.

That caught his curiosity and he stood careful not to wake Isamu, and only then noticed Naruko's hospital bag. His eyes widened at that and he looked back at his wife in question, who nodded at him, and she groaned softly, clutching at her stomach.

So it was time. And he didn't have to panic, not this time. After all he had already been through it once. And survived.

He glanced at the clock on the wall, it was midnight, and he hurried to put his shoes on, forgetting for a minute where he had left them.

"Tachi? Your mother is coming over to stay with Isamu, I called granny Tsunade and she's waiting for us at the hospital, you just need to get the car"

Itachi nodded, and he rushed to the door, stopped by Naruko calling him back.

"The keys! Itachi you need the keys!"

"I knew that" he answered as he walked back to get them from her offering hand, and she rolled her eyes at that, she knew he was internally panicking and trying not to show. As if it was him that had to push a baby out of his body.

He took the bag and rushed out the door, and Naruko sat on the sofa again, waiting for her husband to get back, trying to breathe through another painful contraction.

The door opened again, shortly after, and Naruko was glad to see Itachi was not alone, and that Mikoto and Fugaku we're right behind him. Fugaku had the same lost expression as his son's, she couldn't think about them though,

for the pain was getting worse, and she paled as she felt liquid run down her thighs reaching her ankles.

"I think my waters just broke!"

Itachi felt like fainting, but luckily he pulled through, and after six hours of labor, their daughter came to the world screaming out of her lungs and kicking her little legs as the little fighter he knew was in her, and Itachi just felt his heart expand a little bit more.

"So what name have you decided for this little beauty?" Tsunade was scribbling something on some documents, and Shizune was still clearing the area.

Naruko was lying on her hospital bed, her eyes not leaving her daughter's who was staring back at her mother with her big and grey eyes, probably getting accustomed to the world around her.

Itachi was sitting next to them looking as if he had been the one to give birth, but his eyes were on the baby, a look of adoration in his eyes as he stared at his newborn daughter.

"We had thought of naming her Kimiko" Naruko's gazd mirrored Itachi's as they both looked at each other and then at their daughter.

"Fitting name"

Tsunade agreed, and she nodded at the couple with a smile, her eyes softening as she looked at the family, who was lacking a member in that moment, but Isamu would join them soon, as she was sure he would come with the rest of the family to visit his little sister

.Smiling and without adding anything else she walked out, she would visit again at a more proper time. All three of them looked like they really needed some sleep right now.

Naruko was cuddling the small baby, her mind still trying to realize that she had contributed in creating the small baby, and she smiled as her daughter's greyish eyes settled on her as if she was the whole world.

"Hey Kimi"her fingers ghosted over a puffy and rosy cheek, it was so soft, as rose petals.

"Are you ready to meet your big brother? He has been waiting for you for a while" she whispered, her eyes leaving her daughter, meeting the curious gaze of her son, who was staring at them, as he held his father's hand, like the good boy he was.

It brought tears to her eyes, Isamu looked so big compared to Kimiko, and she had missed him in the small time she had been away from home.

"Come here Amu, there's someone who wants to meet you!"

She gestured for him to walk closer, and he let go of Itachi's hand running to Naruko, getting on his tiptoes to try and give a better look, but he couldn't really see much, so his father picked him up, and his big eyes studied the small bundle in the blonde's arms with a frown.

"See? That's your baby sister" Itachi and Naruko shared a quick glance as they both looked at their children in silent adoration.

"She ugly!" he screeched with a frown, and his parents both laughed at that, both aware that sibling rivalry was something they were going to have to deal with in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> And that's a wrap!
> 
> So, what to say, when I started this story, I really didn't have much if a plot in mind, it was supposed to be a two-shot, and then it was supposed to have just a few chapters, I think it's pretty clear in the beginning that I didn't really know where I was going with this, and I still think that it will need to be fixed in the future, but nonetheless, I finished it, and if I did so, it was because of all of you who have supported and loved this story from the beginning to end, to all of you who have put it in your alert list as favorited or followed, and to all of you who have reviewed, even if just once, every single one of them has helped me, and supported me, and I can't say enough jow grateful I am for all the love and affection I have received.
> 
> Thank you, to all of you!
> 
> Ps. For who follows Road to Perdition, the chapter will probably be out by the end of next week, I will do my best to have it out by then.
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> Darkshadows92

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> I decided to try and post this story here too! so if any of you has any comments or critics let me know, i will be glad to read every opinion you guys might have!  
> This is the first story I post here, and the first I write in the Naruto fandom!


End file.
